What are the different types of feathers?

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The different types of feathers are contour feathers, down feathers and flight feathers.

Countour feathers from the outermost layer and as the name suggests are the ones that give a bird the special shape or contour that distinguishes it. These feathers determine what a bird look like since they supply bird with the colours they come to be associated with.

There are three types of contour feathers - primary, secondary and tertials. The shaft of a contour feather is the long stiff quill that runs through its middle. The veins on both sides of the shaft are made up of thousands of tiny strands called barbs. Under a microscope, it is possible to see that each barb in a feather's veins is covered with tiny hooks that grip one another like miniature zippers. You can pull the barbs apart, then stroke them back together again with your fingertips. This is what a bird does with its beak when it preens or grooms itself.

Whenever a bird loses a feather, it is most often from the outer contour feather layer. Contour feathers give the bird the bird its beauty, and also protect it from the elements of nature. However, dull coloured feathers have their uses too.

Some birds have dull feathers that help them to camouflage themselves or merge with their surroundings thus protecting them from predators.

Down feathers which grow below contour feathers are soft and fluffy and keep birds warm when it's cold.

Floght feathers help a bird to fly. They are very light weighing next to nothing yet cover a large area. So these feathers lighter than air are aerodynamic.

Every feathers on birds body is controlled by a set of tiny muscles, which allows it to raise or lower it (the act of fluffing up feathers). Fluffed feathers especially fluffed up contour feathers could sometimes be the sing of illness in a bird, indicating that it is feeling cold.