Bird feathers and how they work.
Feathers are amazing things. Lightweight and beautiful, but strong and perfectly designed.
Feathers are amazing things. Lightweight and beautiful, but strong and perfectly designed. All birds have them and they provide warmth, protection, the ability to fly and to attract mates.
What are feathers made of?
Feathers are made of the same material as human nails - keratin. They are attached just under the skin by muscles that enable them to move.
Feathers have a hollow shaft. The bare part at the base is called the quill. Higher up the shaft they are covered with many small branches called vanes, these are held together by even smaller branches that link together like a zip with hooks called barbules.
What is preening?
When birds preen they are checking their features and using their bills to re-zip them up. They are also spreading their natural oils from the preen gland (based at the bottom of their back) over the feathers to ensure they stay waterproofed.
Why do birds moult?
Feathers get a lot of wear and tear and need to be replaced. This process is called moulting.
How do birds get and use their colours?
Some bird colours are determined by what they eat, for example, a flamingo's pink feathers are caused by the plankton they eat. While other birds' feather colours are determined by pigments that their bodies produce. And some are made by the way the light reflects off them.
Some birds change their colours as they moult, this is often linked to the breeding season and help them attract a mate. Others will use their feather colours for camouflage.
What are the different types of feathers?
Birds have a range of different types of feathers for different uses.
The big strong flight features are found on the wing and tail. These are what enable the bird to get the push and lift they need to fly. Flightless birds don't have these.
Feathers are positioned in patterns, each with a different name. The long-flight feathers are called primaries, the shorter-flight feathers are called secondaries, and the small feathers that cover their bases are called coverts.
There are also feathers called contour feathers that cover the birds' bodies. These lie flat against its body to protect it from cold, wind and sun. They are also what makes the body look smooth and help streamline flight.
Close to the skin, the down feathers are found. These are very small and soft and are designed for warmth. Birds are warm-blooded so need to be able to keep themselves at a temperature of about 40 degrees centigrade. These small delicate feathers are excellent at trapping a layer of air around the birds' bodies to help insulate them from the cold.
So next time you find a feather, take a really good look at just how amazing they are.
