One of the questions about flight photography I get asked more often than any other is how fast does my shutter speed need to be to freeze the wings of a flying bird. The answer is it depends. But as a general rule the larger the bird the slower the wings beat and the slower the shutter speed needed. For a bird like the bald eagle accompanying this post or a goose or swan, I would want at least 1/500th of a second. For a small duck like a bufflehead I would try to get at least 1/1,250th of a second. For a small songbird like a chickadee or titmouse I would want at least 1/2000th of a second.
Another thing to remember about flight photography is that the wings actually stop for a brief instant at the top and bottom of each stroke. If you happen to take the shot right at that instant you can get away with slower shutter speeds. Another trick to keep in mind here is to have your motor drive cranked up to high speed. Flight photography is all about wing position. The more frames per second you can throw at your subject the more likely you are to catch the wings in a pleasing position.
