Dinosaurs Around the World · Drawing 14 of 34
Microraptor
Asia · Cretaceous
Microraptor had long feathers on its arms and legs. It looked as if it had four wings!
Did you know?
It was probably glossy black, like a crow.
Look together
Can you see feathers on its arms and legs?
An idea to try
Find the four limbs with long feathers.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Microraptor gui is known from Early Cretaceous China. Fossils document its limb feathers. Flight posture and wing use require models and experiments; the pose on the log is not a measured flight.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Simplified reconstruction. Pose, unpreserved tissues and setting are interpreted. Choose your own colours; animals are not to one scale.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- American Museum of Natural History: Four-Winged Dinosaur’s Feathers Were Black with Iridescent SheenFossil-based feather reconstruction, feathered hindlimbs and the narrower terminal tail fan.
Page prepared on October 4, 2026. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
This drawing is from the book Dinosaurs Around the World to Colour
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