The contest:
Name the basic parts of this feather. (The lines)
Bonus: Name what the "arrow" is indicating.
Now, remember this is a basic diagram. You don't need to go into barbs, barbules, proximal and distal barbules to the next barb, hooklets....okay?
Don't anyone hyperventilate on me.
Hint: This is a wing feather.
The Prize:
A suncatcher for your car's rear-view mirror...complete with Swarovski crystals and a cute little bird charm.
24 comments:
Anterior vane
Posterior vane
calamus
I will be sure to attempt this tomorrow. I just took a Tylenol PM and am in no condition to even attempt it as it would require hours of google research for a newbie such as myself. ;o)
Vane
Leading Edge
Rachis
Trailing Edge
No hyperventilating here, just lots of Google research.
Shaft
Vane
Barb
Barbule
Barbicels
Nnnkay?
well, I've been beaten to the punch!
Skinny part of the feather
Fat part of the feather
Feather stick
Bonus arrow: Not part of the feather
Smugly,
~KatDoc, who knows ALL the technical stuff
Arthroflapadarius
Hyperthrombirdo
Quill pen
Rapturousraptorarium
Feather
Feather
Feather
Feather
You're so vane, you prolly think this post is about you.... Vane, final answer!
Wow. I think Swami gets credit just for creativity.
And Owlman REALLY wants some jewelry, doesn't he?
Donna (KGMom) is close....but let's get some different names for the "edges".
Lynne is close, too.
But we need the "bonus" answer.
OK. Try this.
clockwise from top:
anteior vane
posterior vane
rachis
notch?
I'll go with Quill Pen.
Mary, too lazy to google
Leading edge
Anterior Vane
Posterior Vane
Rachis
Or if you read black boxes top to bottom:
Anterior Vane
Leading edge
Posterior Vane
Rachis
BINGO, Nina!
That's what I was looking for!
All:
The "blades" of a feather are called the vanes.
There is an anterior and posterior vane.
The rachis (or shaft) is the "trunk" of the feather.
And the bonus answer was the leading edge. This was a WING feather, and wing feathers are slimmer on the leading edge. The leading edge hits the air first, which is why it is slimmer than the following edge. If leading edges were the same width, the air turbulence would fray it and render it useless.
The "calamus" is the part of a feather that has no barbs, i.e.the "bald" part.
Good job, everyone! Did we learn stuff? Aren't you glad I didn't ask anyone to tell me the difference between a filoplume and an downy?
Fortunately for me I find these wing feathers in the yard often--from my Barred owl--and looked up info to figure out which type of feather it was.But I have to admit I needed a refresher!
I liked Katdoc's answers the best!
Your drawing does not really show illustrate parts of a feather except for the rachis. The other labels refer to topographical features.
Inner and outer vanes really are not "parts' but locations.
For reference see Manual of Ornithology Avian Structure and Function by Procter&Lynch Publishec by Yale Press.
This is an excellent reference for anyone who loves to bird. :)
Rick:
You know, if you want to actually ADD to the discussion, I suggest you DO that in your next comment.
My readers are not ornithologists, but bird bloggers and backyard bird enthusiasts.
This was a simple contest so I can give away jewelry that I make.
And since your comment seems to only advertise this book, I will thank you not to use my blog as your ad agency. I choose what I support or endorse.
I don't trust anyone who keeps their profile "private".
Well said Susan. Some of us can't even spell ornothologists ;-)
Rick:
Susan's drawing was stolen (Er, I mean "borrowed," - sorry, Susan!) from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Handbook of Bird Biology, as she referenced, and the answers she gave are exactly as the CLO has labeled this drawing on their site. So pfftt! to you. :P~
(I went there and looked up the answers in a bold attempt to win another prize, but then was too honest to cheat.)
~Kathi, miffed at people who don't play along
Okay, I am not looking at anyone else's comments or searching on the internet. I am going to confess that I don't know most of it, except I think the middle stiff part is called the shaft. Is my ignorance showing now?
First of all Susan I am not an Ornithologist and have to connection to the above mentioned publication except that I bought it because it is an excellent reference. That is the same reason that I bought Frank Gill's Ornithology 3rd ed. another excellent reference. I am a newly retired groundskeeper and Agromomist and an avid back yard birder. I have found that in order to identify birds and describe them to others correctly it was a good policy to be able to do it accurately, thus I purchased the books plus it is a learning experience.
I am truly sorry if you were offended and you have my humble apology.
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