Birds glossary: Letter B
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Barbs
These are the branches of a feather's main shaft which hook together by means of barbules and barbicels to create an airtight seal necessary for flight.
Bill
Also called the beak. It is the mouth-parts of the bird and is covered in strong keratin.
Breeding migrant
Refers to a migrating bird breeds that in a specific country. Eg. If you live in the USA, a bird that migrates to breed in your country would be called a breeding migrant.
Brood
noun - A group of young birds which hatch to the same mother at the same time. verb – incubating eggs or caring for newly hatched offspring.
Brood spots
Sections on the underbelly where down has fallen out, creating bare patches so as to provide incubating eggs with direct heat.
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