Instructions

Take a look at the website

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/studying/feathers/feathers,

Then find 3 feathers to compare structures. Take a photo of the feathers, or draw a sketch, then write a 3-4 paragraph essay on why you think the feathers look the way they do. You should choose feathers that come from either three different birds (from different habitats, or use habitats in different ways), or from three different places on the bird.

I am not asking you to remove feathers from any living specimens. You can look at photos online, or look at the birds that might visit your yard.

For comparison study, let us discuss three types of feathers, viz. (i) Contour feather; (ii) Down feather and (iii) Filoplume feathers. Pictures of these three types of feathers have been given in Figure 1. Feathers are the specialized structures on birds which are helpful in flight, motional control and also for maintaining the body temperature.