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Feathers at work
Down from eider ducks is great at keeping in warmth - which is why people use it to make quilts and duvets
Flightless birds have no proper flight feathers: all their feathers are limp and floppy.
Protection
The smaller feathers that cover a bird’s body are called contour feathers. They lie flat against its body to protect it from wind, cold and sun. They also give its body a smooth, streamlined shape for flying.
Keeping warm
Birds are warm-blooded, and have to keep a body temperature of about 40°C. Under their contour feathers are tiny soft feathers called down, which lie against the skin and keep the bird warm. Down is great at keeping in warmth – which is why people use it to make quilts and duvets. In cold weather, a bird also fluffs out its contour feathers to trap a layer of warm air.
Good looking
Male peacock, displaying his magnificent feathers
How feathers look can be just as important as what they do. Some birds use their feather patterns for camouflage – such as a nightjar, whose feathers look just like dead leaves. Others use them to impress a mate, such as a peacock, with its dazzling display feathers on its rump.
Feather arrangements
All these feathers don’t just grow anywhere on a bird. They are arranged in lines and 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. Learning the names of these different feather areas helps you to describe the birds you see.
Last modified: 01 March 2005