Bird feathers are skin horn formations. They appeared in these organisms in the process of evolution. Act as flight aids.
Structure of a pen
There are two parts in its structure: a rod, or trunk, and a fan. The lower thickened part of the rod is called the chin. Inside it is keratinized dried tissue.
The fan consists of barbs of the first order, which are attached to the rod. Also, the structure of the pen provides for the presence of second-order barbs, which are attached to the first-order barbs. They are located perpendicular to the latter. They have special hooks, or eyelashes, thanks to which all the beards are tightly fastened together.
Beards consist of two layers. The outer one is called horny, and the inner one is called brain. It is built from dried dead cells with the inclusion of air bubbles. The shape of a bird's feather and its size may vary, but the principle of its structure is always the same as described above.
How did feathers come about?
The first animals to have a similar type of skin were the carnivorous dinosaurs Sinosauropteryx. Fibrous down was present on the surface of their body. The first true feathers appeared in Caudipteryx andmicroraptors. The feathers of birds living now have the same structure as the integuments of these ancient animals.
Feather types
They can be divided into five main groups:
- covers;
- wing;
- helmsmen;
- downy;
- special.
Let's look at them one by one.
Covering
These bird feathers cover the entire body, giving it a streamlined shape. Depending on the location on the body of the bird, they can be divided into shoulder, neck, parietal, dorsal, supratail, goiter, pectoral, belly coverts, lower legs, small, medium and large wing coverts.
Covering feathers are located all over the bird's body in a tiled pattern. They perform a protective and heat-saving function, since the layer they form practically does not let air through.
Flywheels
These bird feathers can be divided into two groups:
- first order;
- second order.
The flight feathers are long and straight. A great example of this is the quill pen used to write in ancient times.
First-order flywheels are attached to the back of the bird's hand. These feathers are the largest. They provide lift and thrust during flight. The number of such feathers is usually 10-15 pieces. So, representatives of the woodpecker family have 10 primary feathers of the first order, ducks have 11-12, and some grebes have as many as 17. An example of what a goose feather looks like:
Machivefeathers of the second order are attached to the skin on the ulna. They represent the bearing surface of the wing. They are smaller than first-order feathers.
Their number can also be different. For example, hummingbirds have only six of them, but some representatives of the albatross family have 37.
Separately worth highlighting the so-called winglet. This is a collection of small flight feathers that are attached to the first finger. Their number is usually 3-4 pieces, sometimes - 6.
Helms
These are bird tail feathers. They are similar to flywheels, but more flexible. Also, steering feathers can be not only straight, but also curved. With their help, the bird changes the direction of flight by moving its tail in different directions. Usually such feathers are located in one slightly curved transverse row.
Downy
This group can be divided into two subgroups: down feathers proper and down. Down feathers have longer shafts than down feathers. However, their beards do not interlock in a fan. Down has a less developed, soft core. Beards also do not mesh in a fan.
Both down and down feathers are designed for thermal insulation. They are under the contour. When the chicks first hatch, they have only down, covering feathers grow later.
Special
Such feathers include vibrissa, decorating, brush, powder.
Vibrissa are feathers that have lost their beards. They only have a stem. They arelocated at the bird's beak and perform a tactile function. Also, small barbless feathers can be found on the eyelids and nostrils.
Decorative - these are various modifications of contour feathers. They appear during the mating season.
Brush - these are feathers with a long thin shaft and grooves, loosely linked to each other. They are usually located around the excretory duct of the coccygeal gland.
Powder feathers are a kind of special feathers, the beards of which break when they grow back. As a result, a powder is formed that covers other feathers with a thin layer. It is needed to make them waterproof.
What determines color?
Feathers of different birds can have a wide variety of colors. It all depends on the amount of certain pigments. Feather color is regulated by the following substances:
- carotenoids;
- porphyrins;
- melanins.
Pigments of the first group create orange, yellow, red and pink shades. These substances pass into the plumage of the bird from the food it consumes. If the animal's diet does not contain enough products containing crotinoids, then its plumage may change to gray.
Porphyrins create green hues.
Melanins form the brown and black color of feathers. They can also create some shades of yellow.
In addition, the color of a bird may depend not only on the pigments contained in the feathers, but also on the structure of the barbs of the first and second order. Depending on how the beards are arranged and located, feathers reflect the sun's rays withdifferent wavelength. This way the feathers can shimmer in the sun.
Since the production of many pigments in the body of a bird is regulated by the liver, color changes may indicate certain diseases, such as chlamydia, vitamin A deficiency, excess zinc, etc.
How do birds take care of their feathers?
The birds devote about two hours a day to this activity.
They can clean feathers in many ways. So, for example, fast-flying birds, such as swallows, swifts, terns, plunge into the water on the fly. Some wet their feathers in rainwater. Birds can also take dust baths to care for them.
Remove foreign objects caught in the plumage, birds using their beak.
There is also a special tool to give feathers elasticity and eliminate pathogens. This is a fat that is secreted by the coccygeal gland of birds. First, the birds apply it on their feet, and then rub their heads with their paws.
To disinfect feathers, some birds intentionally damage anthills. In this case, formic acid enters the body of the bird. It helps to get rid of microorganisms and other parasites that live in the plumage.
Conclusion: record breaking feathers
The longest feathers are found in birds such as decorative Japanese roosters. Their length is more than 5 meters. They are located on the tail.
Also boasts long feathers argus - a bird similar to a peacock. Two middle feathers on her tail reach 150 cm inlength.
Peacocks can rightfully be considered the birds with the most beautiful feathers. Their plumage looks multicolored due to the special structure of the tail feather barbs, which reflect light.
Another bird with the most beautiful feathers can be called paradise. Their plumage can be of different colors. And the feathers on the tail can be of the most varied length and shape. For example, they can be twisted into a spiral.
