Reference Resources

Useful Muscle Reference

CG Papers and Abstracts Dealing with Muscles / Skin Deformation by Christopher Evans: http://chrisevans3d.com/reference.htm

Basic concepts behind the muscle rigs by Peter Shipkov : http://petershipkov.com/development/muscles/tutorial.htm

Some resource and reference video on muscular anatomy :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WFiE-jDZ0g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=Xu4Htf2Ds9w&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcZ8OVTsi7E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmOxpS18KOQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8Krn9dIabk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Rayocdgyc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSelrhJzKJ4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNnZDGihJDs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os2zuEuGCIw&feature=related

How Wings Work

In this video the presenter goes over how bird’s wing work in detail. This is a really good resource to see how the bird’s wing is articulated!

Useful Tips/Techniques on Rigging a Bird/Feather

Ever wondered what it takes for a bird to fly!? Simple, it’s the wing.  🙂
I have managed to find some nice links on creating a fairly realistic wing and feather setup similar to what you might have seen on the gorgeous birds of RIO! Well of course, you can implement similar technique keep constructing and manipulating. The idea is to understand the technique, stuffs like what is going under neath the hood.
I will keep updating this post with more resources so stay tuned!
~ Stumbled upon these two wonderful sites/blogs by Nakyoung Kim and yukfoo.net, sharing the ideas, tips, techniques and tools to create a bird rig, mainly focussing on the wing and feather system. 
~ Paule from Pen Production have some more insight on similar looking setup using spline based controllers. 
~ Check out this link on creating a good looking bird wing setup by Henrik Englund 🙂

~ Nice tool created by Ismail to setup a bird (wing/feather) rig!

~ This is a really good resource to see how the bird’s wing is articulated

More Useful Links:
http://www.jackals-forge.com/tutor/tut1.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jUKOMGKfOM&feature=related
http://www.3dtotal.com/ffa/tutorials/maya/bird_tutorial/bird.asp
http://www.hartworks.net/blender/jared/