What are feathers used for?
- Feathers provide insulation and maintain body heat. This is mostly a function of the down feathers.
- Feathers provide flight and mobility. This is primarily a function of the flight feathers (Primary, Secondary, and Tail feathers).
- Feathers provide safety by providing camouflage which helps the bird blend into it's surrounding.
- Feathers provide a means of communication. Flapping, Flying, Flaring tails and Fluffing are all forms of communicating to the flock.
- Feathers also provide a way of attracting mates. The beautiful plumage can be irresistible to some prospective mates.
What are the three major types of feathers?
- Down - These are the fluffy feathers located beneath the contour feathers that help maintain the body temperature.
- Contour - These feathers cover the contour (body) of the bird. They resemble Down feathers near the base (fluffy) and are stiffer toward the tips like Flight feathers. These feathers help to keep the wind and rain away from the bird's body while providing a more aerodynamic shape.
- Flight - Made up of Primary, Secondary and Tail feathers, these feathers provide the lift for flight and stability. The Primary and Secondary feathers (Remiges) are connected to the major bones in the bird's wings and are asymmetrical similar to the wing or airfoil of an airplane. The Tail feathers (Retrices) are symmetrical and provide stability during flight similar to the rudder on an airplane.
- Primary Flight Feathers - These are the main feathers attached to the wing tips. There are usually eleven (11) but the quantity may vary with species. Six (6) are attached to the metacarpal part of the wing and the remaining extend along the Major Digit to the wing tip.
- Secondary Flight Feathers - These flight feathers are attached to the Radius and Ulna bones. The quantity varies greatly from less than Ten (10) in some passerine species up to Forty (40) in larger species (albatross).
- Primary Coverts - Contour feathers that cover the base of the Primary feathers.
- Secondary Coverts - Coverts or contour feathers that cover the base of the Secondary feathers.
- Median Wing Coverts - The next row of Coverts up (toward the body) from the Primary Coverts and Secondary Coverts.
- Minor Wing Coverts- The next row of Coverts up (toward the body) from the Median Wing Coverts.
- Marginal Wing Coverts- The next row of Coverts up (toward the body) from the Minor Wing Coverts.
- Tail Feathers - (AKA Retrices) These are flight feathers located on the tail. Unlike the Primary and Secondary flight feathers, the tail feathers are often symmetrical and help to provide stability during flight.
- Upper Tail Coverts - Contour feathers that cover the base of the Tail feathers (Retrices).
- Ear Coverts - Contour feathers around the ear.
Where do all the pretty feather colors come from? There can be three types of pigments in a bird's feathers; Carotenoids, Melanins, and Turacoverdins. Carotenoids (Carotenes and the Xanthophylls) are the yellow to red pigments that impart the bright yellows, oranges, and reds to the feathers. Melanin (Eumelanin Melanin and Phaeomelanin Melanin) are the pigments that impart the brown, black or gray shades of colors. Finally, the Turacoverdins are the pigments that produce various shades of green. But where does the blue color come from? The blue colors come from reflective interference. In combination with Melanin and Lutin, reflective interference also produces green and other shades. It is also what gives the feathers their iridescence. This coloration is produced by the same phenomenon that gives color to a film of oil on a water surface.
What is Preening? The preen gland is an oil secreting gland located at the base of the tail in most birds. As the bird grooms itself, the powderdown feathers break apart into powder. It is the combination of the oil from the preen gland and the powder from the powderdown feathers that creates and maintains a clean and well-groomed bird. Preening is also a means of socializing between birds. This social function also helps to get at those "hard to reach" areas. Preening is also the time for a bird to remove worn or damaged feathers during the molting season.
Are feathers dead or alive? Feathers are alive while they are developing. They have a blood supply during this time. After the feather's blood supply dries up, the Keratin sheath around it falls off or is removed by the bird revealing the feather. The feather is considered "dead' at this point because it possesses neither innervations nor a blood supply. Caution: During the development stage, serious damage can occur and the bird can bleed to death if a feather is broken during the development stage. It is also critical to avoid the blood line in the feathers when clipping a bird's wings.
What is Molting? A mature feather is not a living feather. So damage or wear on a feather cannot be repaired. Birds solve this problem by periodically replacing their feathers in a process called molting. Though this may be an ongoing process, it predominantly occurs once or twice a year for most birds usually in the spring or fall. It also occurs symmetrically. The same feathers on the right side will often molt at the same time as the left side. This helps to maintain the ability to fly in a balanced manner. Typically the fifth flight feather (both sides) falls out first and then flight feathers alternating on each side of the fifth flight feather will fall out in turn. This process will continue until all flight feathers have molted. The sequence typically takes weeks or longer to complete. As feathers fall out, new ones called pin feathers take their place. These are living feathers with a blood supply inside them. As the new pin feather matures, a thin sheath of keratin covering protects the pin feather. As the feather continues to mature, the blood supply will dry up and the keratin cover will fall off or be preened off to reveal a beautiful new feather.
What is Feather Plucking? According to the Pet Parrot Book there are three major causes; poor diet, lack of bathing opportunities and boredom. According to one source, feather picking ".. isn't a disease, but a symptom. This vexing problem could be cause by poor health or diet, or by stress or other psychological triggers."
What can I do if my bird is a feather plucker? This is a very complex question because feather plucking can be caused by a wide variety of things. So generally the first step is to determine the root cause of the plucking. Most experts recommend the following.
- Take the bird to a veterinarian for a complete analysis. This should include a physical exam and laboratory tests. This will isolate the problem if it is a physical problem (diet, poisoning, illness, etc).
- Carefully review your bird's environment for contaminants, air pollutants, smells, odors, or anything else than can contaminate your birds feathers. It is possible that the bird's feathers can be so contaminated that the bird literally wants to pull the feathers out. Just because that lovely scented candle smells good to you doesn't mean that the contamination to your bird's feathers smells good to your bird.
- Carefully review your bird's surroundings for anything that has changed, been added, or removed at or around the time the problem plucking began which may be frightening to you bird. This can include toys, furniture, animals, kids, etc. A behavioral problem can cause plucking and it may not be obvious to you. Adding a chair to the room next to a bird's cage may be sufficient enough to frighten the bird and cause psychological damage sufficient to cause plucking.
The Author is the creator of the InfoSuperFlyway.com. It's a Web page dedicated to Kibibi a Congo African Grey Parrot with parrot recordings, funny parrot videos, top ten lists, parrot jokes, clicker training info and a large database of parrot articles.
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