Ever see a duck or goose line its nest with feathers? These are body down from their breast. These are more common in waterbirds such as penguins, loons, and ducks. Body Down lies under the contour feathers of many adult birds.Altricial birds (who rely on a brooding parent) have sparse natal down since they receive heat transferred by a parent. Birds that are precocial (able to feed/tend to itself immediately after hatching, therefore not relying on a parent) tend to have more natal down since they have to maintain their temperatures on their own. Natal Down temporarily covers the entirety of a hatchling’s body.Down feathers act as insulators that allow birds to manage their internal body temperatures by thermoregulation. These feathers are entirely plumulaceous, making them soft and fluffy. Major Feather Types (Image via Bird Academy/Cornell Lab of Ornithology) Now that we’ve discussed the basics of feather structure, let’s examine the 6 major feather types. If you’ve ever seen the bumps on a plucked chicken, then you have seen feather follicles. When you see a chick with down, you are seeing an example of plumulaceous feathers.įeathers grow out of and remain attached to a feather follicle in the epidermis. As a result, plumulaceous feathers cannot hold anything except a delicate, rounded form. Their barbs have rami that are less stiff and the barbules are usually either reduced or thinner. Plumulaceous feathers have barbs that are loose and fluffy.
Barbicels- tiny hooklets that attach the barbules together and create the flatness of the vaneĪnatomy of a feather (Image via ).Barbules- the slender branches on either side of the ramis.Ramis- a central shaft which has slender branches on either side.Rachis- a relatively solid structure that extends down the middle of the feather.Barbs- hundreds of stiff filaments that attach to a rachis.Vane- the flat surface of a pennaceous feather.Pennaceous feathers are flexible and consist of the following parts: A feather is either pennaceous or plumulaceous. Pennaceous feathers are what most people imagine to be a “typical” feather. Let’s start by defining two important terms in regards to feather structure. But did you know there are 6 major types of feathers on a bird’s body? Each of the major types has specific form and function. It’s likely that you imagine a tail or wing feather. What do you imagine when you hear the word “feather”?
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