When one is described as having “a feather in one’s cap,” a commendable and distinctive accomplishment has been earned. The feather, today unique to the animal group, birds, evolved to enable birds to ...

If you took a careful look at the feathers on a chicken, you'd find many different forms within the same bird -- even within a single feather. The diversity of feather shapes and functions expands ...

"Most previous studies suggest that insulation might have been the primary function for the first feathers, but our discovery supports that display represents one of the earliest functions for ...

Etelka is a post-doctoral research fellow exploring aerosol science with biology and engineering.View full profile Etelka is a post-doctoral research fellow exploring aerosol science with biology and ...

Bird tails are complex structures that give us clues about bird flight and bird behavior. Knowing the variety of tail patterns helps us to identify birds, so let's talk bird tails. A bird's tail ...

Scientists have revealed that feather shafts are made of a multi-layered fibrous composite material, much like carbon fiber, which allows the feather to bend and twist to cope with the stresses of ...

When we think of birds, the mind immediately turns to flight. That birds can fly and have adapted to a life of flying the world over is miraculous. Much of what allows the Aves taxonomic class to take ...