Professor Ian Jones, St John’s Memorial University, and Dr Sampath Seneviratne, University of British Columbia, shared their insights and suspicions that certain feathers on a bird’s body could serve to heighten the sense of touch. When looking at birds, such as the auklet, which have intricate feathers on their heads, scientists found that by putting them through a simple navigational test, much was revealed in regard to the role that crests and head feathers play. Using a dark maze, as this breed tends to breed in dark crevices, it was found that when the birds navigated the test, they succeeded in completing the maze with less difficulty than when researchers flattened their head feathers. It was also noted that in general, if birds have ornamental feathering, they tend to be birds that are active at night.

Researchers then looked at bird species that do not feature elaborate feathering, including pheasants, kingfishers, parrots, penguins and owls. They suggest that even if some birds do not have crests and rectal bristles, longer wing feathers may also serve as a means of touch. Many birds use their feathers and coloring to show off their abilities and to either startle or camouflage themselves from their predators, but there is good reason to believe that feathers have various other functions that we have not been aware of until now. The new insight into facial feathers and flamboyant feathering could lead to further studies,to confirm these findings and the preliminary research. This use of their feathers for touch and orientation has revealed a more complex side to birds, and will have us gazing a little more intently whenever we look at these colorful creatures of the skies.

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The Owl is a fascinating nocturnal bird and one of the quietest flying bird species in the world. The Owl’s ability to keep completely silent while in action is based on the Owl’s unique feather design, which is unlike any other bird species.

The Owl has five different types of specially designed feathers that result in the bird’s silent flight. The first type is Contour feathers, which cover the entire body including the tail and wings. The second type is Down feathers, which are soft and velvety. These feathers trap air and create an insulation layer, which provides the Owl with warmth. The third type of feathers is called Semi-plumes and their role is to fill in any space that is left open between the contour and down feathers.

Bristles are the fourth type of feathers and these are found around the eyes and around the base of the bill. Bristles are small, stiff feathers that have barbs near the base of the feather. The last type of feathers that the Owl has is called Filoplumes, which are fine and almost hair like in appearance with barbs at the end. The other feathers cover the short Filoplumes, which act as vibration and pressure receptors. The Owl also has Filoplumes on its bill and feet, which helps the Owl to react when it touches prey or other objects.

These five feather types assist the Owl in many ways, including flight. But there is one more adaptation that the Owl has, which assists in producing silent flight. The primary wing feathers have “fimbriae” or “flutings” – edges which are serrated and look similar to a comb. Other bird species don’t have this adaptation, so when they fly air moves over the wing surface, creating turbulence and a swishing sound heard by most prey. The Owl, on the other hand, lessens the amount of turbulence experienced with its comb-like feathers. The turbulence is broken down into groups of micro-turbulence, which muffles the sound and gives the Owl its silent flight.

The ability of the Owl to fly silently is imperative to its survival and its ability to catch prey during the quiet nights. Its silent flight reduces the noise that the Owl and the prey can hear and allows the Owl to hear and locate its prey and capture it with stealth.

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Bird feathers aren’t naturally waterproof. But birds can make them water resistant by applying waxes from their preen glands. You may have watched a pet parrot grooming its own feathers – the bird will alternately rub its head against the base of its tail, and against its other feathers. It is depositing waxy, water-resistant oils found in the preen gland (at the tail base) onto the other feathers.

Birds also have a dusty powder in their feathers. This powder comes from special feathers called “powderdowns”, which are constantly disintegrating into waterproof powder. This powder adds to the water-resistant quality of feathers.

It is essential for birds like ducks to constantly preen their feathers to keep them in good shape, and to keep distributing these waterproof oils and powders.

Seabirds that dive underwater have particularly dense feathers, which also helps water from penetrating through the feathers to the bird’s body.

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