What is "alula"

Alula \Al"u*la\, n. [NL., dim. of L. ala a wing.] (Zo["o]l.) A false or bastard wing. See under Bastard.

n. bastard wing. A small projection on the anterior edge of the wing on some birds.

1. n. scale-like structure between the base of the wing and the halter of a two-winged fly [syn: calypter]

2. tuft of small stiff feathers on the first digit of a bird's wing [syn: bastard wing, spurious wing]

3. [also: alulae (pl)]

The alula, or bastard wing, (plural alulae) is a small projection on the anterior edge of the wing of modern birds and a few non-avian dinosaurs. The word is Latin and means "winglet"; it is the diminutive of ala, meaning "wing". The alula is the freely moving first digit, a bird's "thumb", and typically bears three to five small flight feathers, with the exact number depending on the species. There also are minor covert feathers overlying the flight feathers. Like the larger flight feathers found on the wing's trailing edge, these alula feathers are asymmetrical, with the shaft running closer to anterior edge.

Alula was an ornithological magazine published in Finland. The magazine was published on a quarterly basis. Initially it was published in both Finnish and English, but the final volumes were published in English only. It was aimed primarily at birders with an interest in the birds of the Western Palearctic. The final issue of Alula was issued in 2008 (volume 14, issue 3) after which printing ceased in 2009 due to financial problems.

Alula may refer to:

• Alula, a part of a bird's wing.
• A part of an insect's wing. see insect wing#Fields.
• Alula (magazine), a defunct Finnish ornithological journal
• Alula (plant), a rare Hawaiian plant (Brighamia insignis)
• Alula, Somalia, a historic town in northeastern Somalia
• Alula Engida, a 19th-century Ethiopian general
• Alula Borealis, a star in the constellation Ursa Major. See Nu Ursae Majoris
• Alula Australis, a star in the constellation Ursa Major. See Xi Ursae Majoris