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Glite Dictionary
🐦 A bird's wing part 🪰 A fly's wing part
alula

alula

1 9.9
A small group of short stiff feathers on the front edge of a bird's wing that help control flight
  • noun
  • /əˈluːlə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : alula
  • The presence of an alula on the "thumb," or first digit, of the finch-sized Eoalulavis, below left (detail), indicates advanced flying ability.

Examples

  • " Immediately recognizable as the bastard wing, or alula, this feature is a characteristic of many modern birds but had never before been encountered in a fossil bird from the Mesozoic.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The new bird was christened Eoalulavis, "early bird with alula."

    Academic text (1998)

  • An aerodynamic feature of many modern birds, the alula, also called the bastard wing, allows birds to fly without stalling.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The bird had an alula, which helps it maneuver easily in the air.

  • An alula is crucial for many birds, allowing better control during slow flight.

  • When observing the sparrow, I noticed its alula, a small feathered projection on its wing.

Synonyms

bastard wing
vsalula
  • Specialized
9.9

A small stiff group of feathers on the front edge of a bird's wing that helps control flight when landing

means the same structure but uses the standard anatomical term
spurious wing
vsalula
  • Specialized
9.1

A small group of stiff feathers on a bird's thumb that helps control flight

is a small front edge projection attached to the first digit aiding control

Surface Forms

alula singular
alulas plural
alulae plural

Etymology

Alula comes from the Latin ala meaning 'wing' and the ending -ula meaning 'small'. So alula literally means 'little wing', which fits the small tuft of feathers on the front edge of a bird's wing that acts like a tiny wing to help with landing and turning.