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Feathers Provide more than Flight for Area Birds
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by Kevin Strauss
With the below-zero winter weather keeping me indoors more often now, I have more time to sort through my collection of “animal artifacts” like fur, skulls and feathers. It was the feathers that caught my attention.
Feathers are made from the protein keratin. This is the same material that makes up human fingernails and hair and the scales lizards. The strong similarities between bird feathers and lizard scales is one piece of evidence that evolutionary scientists use to support the idea that birds are lizards are both descendents of the dinosaurs who went extinct 65 million years ago. From that perspective, dinosaurs didn’t go extinct, they merely sprouted feathers and took to the air.
When we think about “feathers” we usually think about the long flight feathers that sprout from bird’s wings. While these are the feathers that give birds their lift and let them get into the air, their short down (long underwear) feathers are just as important to bird survival. Bird feathers are the best natural insulation in the world, trapping warm air close to a bird’s body. By fluffing their body feathers, a black-capped chickadee in the northland maintain their 105 degree body temperatures even when the mercury dips to -30 fahrenheit. In addition, some birds seem to grow extra body feathers to help them stay warm in winter. The non-native house sparrow, found in many towns, has 3,100 feathers in June, but grows an extra 400 feathers by January. The number of feathers that a bird has depends on the size of the bird. Tiny birds like the ruby-throated hummingbird have only 950 feathers, while large birds like the great blue heron can have as many as 25,000.
But feathers aren’t only light, they are also very strong with interlocking “barbs” or hooks that helps feathers keep their shape. When a bird is “preening” itself, it is running its beak over feathers to realign the barbs and smooth the feathers. Some species, like ducks, also add natural oils to waterproof their feathers while preening.
With all the warmth, strength and lightness advantages of feathers, it is no wonder that our northland chickadees are active all winter while chipmunks escape the winter by hibernating in their burrows.
Note on collection bird feathers: Migratory birds are protected by federal law, meaning that you need a special permit to possess feathers, skulls and other body parts of all non-game migratory birds. Endangered, threatened or species of “special concern,” have additional federal protections. Even a hiker who notices a bald eagle feather on the ground and picks it up could be charged with a serious fine. These laws are designed to keep unethical hunters from killing birds illegally just to get their feathers or talons. It is best, from a health standpoint and a legal standpoint, to observe wild bird feathers in the wild and leave them there. If you would like to examine bird feathers at home, seek out feathers from legally hunted grouse, turkeys, ducks or pheasants from a local taxidermist or hunting club.
The Ely Timberjay
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