Lacking trees from which to sing during spring courtship, prairie birds like the lark bunting perform a song flight. The male shoots skyward, then drifts down to the ground on extended wings, teetering slightly like a gliding butterfly and singing loudly. The high lift of the osprey's wings give it great downward thrust as it struggles with powerful wingbeats to gain altitude from the water surface after capturing a fish. Gliding low above the ground on wings tipped up in a vee, the hunting northern harrier teeters slightly as if maintaining its balance. The wide, soft wings of the barn owl allow it to fly softly and silently, an important strategy for a night hunter.
Owls lack speed and maneuverability, using instead stealth and surprise to descend on their prey.
More at home in the air than any other land bird, swifts, like this white-throated swift , have long, slender, stiff wings for rapid flight and pinpoint maneuverability, handy skills for pursuing flying insects. Very large, broad wings, and a wingspan of nine feet, allow American white pelicans to soar high in the sky and travel long distances. They may fly as much as 50 miles one way in a day to find food.