aside from the visual similarity, there is the less obvious evolutionary connection to wings which alone meets the challenge guidelines. Technically excellent, as usual with your work. I like how the blue and reds matched up in both halves of the photo, I'm only guessing that's the reason you diverted from your usual b/w. Congratulations on the well-deserved Posthumous ribbon.
I'm very fond of this because I've always made the same connection. Or maybe I never made the connection but after your photo it seems so obvious that I think I always made that connection. This is truly the sublime flying up from the mundane, transcendence without absence.