Feathers

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By peace | August 18, 2007

Birds are the only animals that have feathers, and they serve several purposes. Feathers help birds to fly, they keep the birds warm, they attract the attention of potential mates, and they help scare away predators.

Did you know that the conure has between 2000 and 3000 feathers on their body? These feathers grow from follicles that are arranged in rows known as pterylae. The unfeathered patches of bare skin on your conure’s body are called apteria.

A feather is a remarkably designed creation. The base of the feather shaft, which fits into the bird’s skin, is called the quill. It is light and hollow, but remarkably tough. The upper part of the feather shaft is called the rachis. From the rachis branch the barbs and barbules (smaller barbs) that make up most of the feather. The barbs and barbules have small hooks on them that enable the different parts of the feather to interlock like Velcro and form the feather’s vane or web.

Feather colours are determined by combinations of pigment in the outer layer and in the interior strucutre of the feather. Birds have different types of feathers on their bodies. Cotour feathers are the colourful outer feathers on the body and wings. Many birds have an undercoating of down feathers that helps keep them warm. Semiplume feathers are found on a bird’s beak, nares(nostrils), and eyelids.

A bird’s flight feathers can be classified into one of two types. Primary flight feathers are the large wing feathers that push a bird forward during flight. They are also the ones that need clipping. Secondary flight feathers are found in the inner wing, and they help support the bird in flight. Primary and secondary flight feathers can operate independently. The bird’s tail feathers also assist in flight by acting as a brake and a rudder.

To keep their feathers in good condition, healthy birds spend a great deal of time fluffing and preening. Conure has the habit of picking at the base of her tail on the top side. This is a normal behaviour in which the bird removes oil from the preen gland and spreads it on her feathers. The oil helps prevent skin infections and waterproofs the feathers.

Sometimes pet birds will develop white lines or small holes on the large feathers of their wings and tails. These lines or holes are referred to as stress bars or stress lines, and result from the bird being under stress as the feathers were developing.