The Aviary


What Is a Feather?

Birds in flight fascinate me… I’m inspired by a feather but also its color, its graphics, its weightlessness and it’s engineering. It’s so elaborate. In fact, I try and transpose the beauty of a bird to women.

~ Alexander McQueen

Common Kingfisher in flight (2011). Photo by Joefrei.
Feathers are the most distinctive features of birds, since no other creatures on Earth have them. While a dizzying variety exists in the natural world, all feathers share the same basic structure: a hollow tube from which project a series of branches. This tube is made up of keratin, the same structural protein found in scales and in human fingernails. Differences between feathers in overall appearance have much to do with the branching patterns they exhibit. The individual branches extending from the central tube can divide even further to form a complex array of microscopic extensions.

These extensions are often interlocking, adding to the integrity of the feather as a whole. When birds preen themselves, they make sure to “zip up” any of these structures that have come apart during their daily activities. Obviously, the feathers of a sparrow are quite different from those of a penguin, but there are also big differences between the wing, tail, and body feathers on the same bird. As a result, feathers can be used for a variety of functions including flight, thermoregulation, and sexual display.

Emily Nastase, Pennaceous Feather Structure (2016). Pen and ink with digital edits. Courtesy of the artist.