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Outside feathers
- The contour feathers of a bird are the outside feathers – the ones that you can see. They provide the colour and the shape of the bird. The contour feathers tend to overlap each other, much like tiles on a roof. The feathers tend to shed rain, keeping the body dry and well insulated.
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Contour feathers are what you see covering the bird’s body and streamlining its shape. Arranged in an overlapping pattern like shingles, the waterproof tips are exposed to the elements and the fluffy bases are tucked close to the body.
- Mya Thompson
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- Flight. Feathers are critically important for flight in birds. The flight feathers form long, broad surfaces that have the physical properties needed to generate lift and thrust.
- Insulation. Birds are endotherms like us. In other words, they’re warm-blooded. So, like us, they need to maintain their body temperatures within a narrow range.
- Waterproofing. Feathers provide most birds with a water-resistant—if not water-proof—outer covering. If down acts like a puffy insulating parka, the contour feathers are like the rain jacket.
- Display. One of the things we love most about bird feathers is how colorful they are. The plumages of countless species are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. They combine colors in ways that even a skilled artist might think would never work together.
- Down feathers. Down feathers are the softest types of feather on a bird. They are located close to the skin and are not as rigid as outer feathers. They lack a hook in the central axis of the feather, instead having very soft and flexible filaments that interconnect to form a soft, light structure.
- Contour feathers. Contour (sometimes contoured) feathers are the most visible type of feather on a bird's body. They are characterized by having a rigid central axis with barbs on both sides.
- Flight feathers. Flight feathers are essential elements for bird flight. These feathers are long and stiff. They are located on the wings and tail, playing a critical role in a bird's ability to fly and maneuver.
- Semiplumes. Semiplume feathers are an intermediate type of feather between down and contoured feathers. They are distributed throughout the body of birds, but are especially prominent in areas such as the neck, head and chest.
Contour feathers form an overlapping, protective outer covering over a bird’s body. The outer portion of these feathers creates the typical body color and patterning of the bird, although the softer inner section may be paler in color.
Nov 29, 2021 · Contour feathers are the feathers that appear first to us when we see a bird near us. The leading contour feathers cover the body of a bird and maintain the protective layer and structure of the bird's skin.
Contour feathers (including the flight and tail feathers) define the body outline and serve as aerodynamic devices; filoplumes (hair feathers) and plumules (down feathers) are used principally as insulation, to conserve body heat.
The most conspicuous feathers are vaned feathers, which include contour feathers covering the body surface and the larger flight feathers of the wing and tail. The smooth overlapping arrangement of the vaned feathers reduces air turbulence in flight.
