Anup Shah / Lesser flamingos {Phoeniconaias minor} performing 'wing salute' as part of courtship display, the wings are spread out to the side of the body and held in this position for several seconds, making the...

Fergus Gill / 2020VISION / Male Ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) on beach, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK, June. Did you know? When Plovers sense danger a parent bird will pretend to have a broken wing to distract predators.

Brent Stephenson / Buller's albatross (Thalassarche bulleri) flying low with wing tip cutting the surface of a calm sea. Off Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

Solvin Zankl / Wing-armed squid (Stenoteuthis pteropus) - deep sea specimen from South Atlantic

Andy Sands / Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male preening wing with muddy bill, Hertfordshire, England, UK, March.

Andy Sands / Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male preening wing on mossy branch, Hertfordshire, England, UK, March

David Tipling / 2020VISION / Barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) feeding on grazing marshes, with one bird wing stretching, Caerlaverock WWT, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK, December

Alex Hyde / Bud wing mantis (Parasphendale affinis) juvenile, on a white background, originating from Africa. Captive.

Markus Varesvuo / Barn swallow feeding chick on the wing (Hirundo rustica) Sipoo Finland July

Steve Gettle / Atreus Owl (Caligo atreus) butterfly wing with false eyespot, Ecuador

Edwin Giesbers / Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) head sticking out from behind wing, captive

Ross Hoddinott / Marbled White Butterfly (Melanargia galathea) resting on grass stem, Devon, UK July. Winner of Seasons category of the BWPA 2011 competition

Brent Stephenson / Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur) in flight low over the sea surface showing upper wing. Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand, October.

Edwin Giesbers / Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) with its beak tucked under its wing. The Netherlands, June.

Edwin Giesbers / Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) with its beak tucked under its wing. The Netherlands, June.

Edwin Giesbers / Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) with its beak in its feathers. The Netherlands, January.

Alex Hyde / Spiny flower mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii) in threat display with wings extended showing eye spots on wing cases. Captive, originating from Africa.

Guy Edwardes / Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus) with wing raised as a threat to nearby rival. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa, February

Laurent Geslin / Common bee fly (Bombylius major) at rest with graffiti in the background, Paris, France.

Bence Mate / Low angle view of grey heron feet (Ardea cinerea), leaping to attack gret white egret (Egretta alba), egret wings visible. Hungary. WINNER: Erik Hosking Award portfolio image 1/6 - Wildlife Photograph...

Pete Oxford / Close up of Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) with head tucked into wing, Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, SW England, UK captive

Stephen Dalton / Emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) in flight, male, UK

Stephen Dalton / Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) in flight, controlled conditions, from Africa

Stephen Dalton / Highland rubyspot (Hetaerina sp) in flight, Venezuealan cloudforest. South America

Sven Zacek / Dotted Border Wave moth (Idaea sylvestraria) at rest, feeding on nectar, Namibia, Africa.

Sven Zacek / Misty morning with dragonfly silhouetted in dawn light, on lake, Estonia

Dave Bevan / Long eared owl (Asio otus) perched on post, shaking wings in rain, Wales, UK, captive

Wild Wonders of Europe / Maitland / Turkish / Balkan edible snail (Helix lucorum) on car wing mirror with person taking it off, Stenje region, Galicica National Park, Macedonia, June 2009, Model released

Stephen Dalton / Honeybee (Apis mellifera) in flight, UK

David Tipling / Two Black Kites {Milvus migrans} fighting in the air, Hokkaido, Japan, February

Mark Bowler / Housefly {Musca domestica}

Fabio Liverani / Close-up of Swallowtail (Papilo machaon) wings, Emilia Romagna Region, Italy

Steven Kazlowski / Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) playing with wing mirror and looking through window of a tundra buggy, 1002 coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, October 2005

Wild Wonders of Europe / Peltomäki / Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) stretching wing at nest with two chicks, Texel, Netherlands, May 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) head covered in blood from feeding, with the wing of another individual, Montejo de la Vega, Segovia, Castilla y Leon, Spain, March 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Unterthiner / Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) sleeping, with head tucked under wing, Lake Tysslingen, Sweden, March 2009

Edwin Giesbers / Glass-wing Butterflies mating {Greta oto} Costa Rica

Mitsuaki Iwago / Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) juvenile exercising its wings, Hawaii

Ingo Arndt / Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) butterfly wing with false eyespots, Costa Rica

Konrad Wothe / Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) male flying, Madeira Canyon, Coronado National Forest, Arizona

Rolf Nussbaumer / Cecropia Moth {Hyalophora cecropia} close up of pattern on back wing, Hill Country, Texas, USA

Tim Fitzharris / Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) drying its wings, North America

Suzi Eszterhas / Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) on iceberg, Paulet Island, Antarctica

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) adult with wingspan of 9 feet flying, critically endangered, bred in captivity, later released, and wearing radio transmitter, near Zion National Park, Utah

Michael Durham / Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) illustrating wing movement during flight, Rogue River National Forest, Oregon, digital composite

Michael Durham / Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) pursues a forest moth, the mouth is open to allow the bat to echolocate when a moth is caught, it is scooped up in the wing and then delivered to the mouth, digital...

Michael Durham / Yuma Myotis (Myotis yumanensis) bat, female pursuing a moth on the wing, Oregon

Michael Durham / Eight-spotted Skimmer (Libellula forensis) dragonfly male flying, photographed with a high-speed camera system in the coastal mountains of Oregon, near Florence

John Waters / Mute Swan {Cygnus olor} female with chick tucked under wing, Somerset, UK.

David Pike / Whooper swan {Cygnus cygnus} preening under wing, Kussharo ko, Japan.

Kim Taylor / Barn swallow {Hirundo rustica} drinking on the wing. Digitally enhanced.

Kim Taylor / Barn swallow {Hirundo rustica} drinking on the wing. Digitally enhanced.

Kim Taylor / Barn swallow {Hirundo rustica} drinking on the wing. Digitally enhanced.

Kim Taylor / Barn swallow {Hirundo rustica} drinking on the wing. Digitally enhanced.

Kim Taylor / Close-up of eye detail on wing of Morpho Butterfly (Morpho didius)

Michio Hoshino / Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flying, Alaska

Tom Vezo / Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) perching on Cardon (Pachycereus pringlei) cactus, sunning itself with wings spread, Sonora, Mexico

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) flying, worldwide distribution

Flip de Nooyer / Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) two downy chicks standing together in nesting colony, Antarctica

Pete Oxford / Clear wing butterfly (Cithaerias pireta), Ecuador C Amazon cloud forest

Bristol City Museum / Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly {Ornithoptera alexandrae} museum specimens, male top, female below. World's largest butterfly, wing span 1 foot / 30 cms. Endangered species occurs in Papua New Gu...

Michio Hoshino / Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flying, Alaska

ZSSD / California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) spreading wings, native to California

Tui De Roy / Salvin's Albatross (Thalassarche salvini) returning to crowded nesting colony at sunset, Proclamation Island, Bounty Islands, New Zealand

Tim Fitzharris / Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor) group taking flight from lake, Kenya

Tom Vezo / Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) adult flying, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

Rolf Nussbaumer / Close up of wing feathers of Blue jay {Cyanocitta cristata} Texas, USA.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Mallard female sleeping with head tucked under wing {Anas platyrhynchos} Switzerland.

Michio Hoshino / Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flying, Alaska

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Violet Sabre-wing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) immature hummingbird feeding and pollinating Coral Tree (Erythrina sp) flowers, cloud forest, Costa Rica

Konrad Wothe / Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) female flying, Turkey

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) fishing in the sea, spring, Kenai Peninsula, south central Alaska

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) immature bird flying with transmitter attached, critically endangered extinct in wild and recently re-introduced, 9-10 foot wingspan, Marble Canyon, Arizona

Konrad Wothe / Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) adult female in white phase flying, North America

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Nymphalid Butterfly (Cithaerias sp) on leaf, Amazon rainforest, Peru

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Violet Sabre-wing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) hummingbird male at Ginger (Costus montanus) flowers, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Violet-crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania colombica) hummingbird male perched in lowland rainforest, Costa Rica

Tom Vezo / Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) male at yellow cactus flower, Arizona

Tui De Roy / Flightless Cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi) drying stunted wings, Punta Espinosa, Fernandina Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Michio Hoshino / Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) landing, Alaska

Tim Fitzharris / Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca) adult balancing on a stump amid dry grass, British Columbia, Canada

Michio Hoshino / Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flying, Alaska

Norbert Wu / Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) two chicks, parents can recognize chick's call among 50, 000 birds, Antarctica

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Suraka Silk Moth (Antherina suraka) portrait, showing back with wings spread displaying shades of pink, Madagascar

Tim Fitzharris / Southern Hawker Dragonfly (Aeshna cyanea) close up, moisture on wings, New Mexico

Norbert Wu / Io Moth (Automeris io) a member of the Giant Silkworm Moth family, eyespots may serve to scare away predators, Florida

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) feeding at flower, Shiga, Japan

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Cicada (Tanna japonensis) emerging, Shiga, Japan

Tui De Roy / Flightless Cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi) drying stunted wings at sunset, Punta Espinosa, Fernandina Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Tui De Roy / Campbell Albatross (Thalassarche impavida) coming in to land, Bull Rock, North Cape Colony, Campbell Island, New Zealand

Tui De Roy / Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) recently formed pair, female inspecting male in courtship display with extended gular pouch, Genovesa Tower Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Jim Brandenburg / Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) and chicks on prairie nest, South Dakota