wingbeat

noun

1. A single stroke made in flight by the wings of an animal that flies by beating its wings.

   “The birds spotted me the moment I approached. A strong southwest gale was blowing. At times, one or both of them would swing almost directly above me and without a single wingbeat remain almost motionless, in defiance of the wind, for moments at a time.”

   “In addition to acoustic measurement, other methods can be used to determine wingbeat frequency.”