What are the parts of a bird's feather and worm's feathers?
Answers
Flying High
Birds are very unique animals. They come in an incredible variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and are found in a great diversity of habitats across the world. But what's really special about birds is that they have feathers. Believe it or not, birds are related to reptiles, and their feathers are believed to have evolved from reptile scales a long time ago.
You might be surprised to learn that even though all birds have feathers, and feathers are necessary for flight, not all birds can fly. You might also be surprised to learn that there are different types of feathers that serve different purposes. So let's take a closer look at feathers to learn more about them.
The Structure of a Feather
Before we look at the different kinds of feathers it will be helpful to know just what a feather is. The good news is that even though there are many different types of feathers they all have the same basic structure and components.
What looks like a vein running down the center of the feather is the rachis, which is a hollow shaft. Branching outward from the rachis at 45° angles are barbs. Branching off of these at 90° angles are barbules, which have small hooks called hamuli that link together with other barbules and hold neighboring barbs together. Think of the hamuli as zipper teeth that link two sides of a jacket together and you'll get the idea here.
On bird feathers there are barbs (b), which have barbules (bl), which have hooks called hamuli (h) that link them all together
The majority of the feather, where there are barbs, is called the vane. Below this is the quill or calamus which does not have any barbs. When you think of a feather pen, the quill is the section that is dipped into the ink for writing. That's the same quill we're talking about here. This gives us a trick to remember the name of this type of feather: they are pennaceous feathers, the long, stiff kind of feather you would use for a pen.
Plumaceous feathers, on the other hand, would be a little more difficult to write with. These are soft, fluffy feathers. They are like this because they lack barbules and hamuli, and may lack a rachis. While they may not be good for writing, they are very good for keeping a bird protected from wind and water.
Interestingly, many types of feathers have a combination of pennaceous and plumaceous regions on them.
Some feathers have both pennaceous and plumaceous parts
Types of Feathers
Now that we know the general structure of a feather, let's look at the different kinds of feathers birds may have on their bodies.
First are flight feathers, which we can further divide into wing and tail feathers. Like the name implies, flight feathers are specialized for flying. The wing flight feathers are also called remiges. Flight feathers are the longest feathers, like the long, stiff ones you find on the ground. Wing feathers are asymmetrical while tail feathers are mostly symmetrical. Their structure and size allow birds to cut, twist, and turn through the air with ease.
Wing flight feathers like this one are specialized for flying
Next are contour feathers, which cover the body of a bird like shingles on a roof. The exposed waterproof ends of these feathers provide protection from things like sunlight and weather, while the downy ends are tucked underneath, close to the body. The coloring of contour feathers is also important. Some birds use their brilliantly colored feathers for distraction or mating purposes, while others use their bland colors to camouflage themselves into their environment.
Down feathers are another type, and one that you might already be familiar with. Down feathers are found close to the body and are very soft and fluffy because they do not have a rachis or barbules. This means their barbs are free to move around, giving them that fluffy appearance but also trapping air and providing insulation for the bird. This also makes them good for insulating you inside your down jacket!