Keep warm, show off in estrus, fly.

According to different structures and functions, birds' feathers can be divided into three types: normal feathers, down feathers and fine feathers.

1. A large feather covered with ordinary feathers, consisting of a feather shaft and a feather blade. The part of the lower part of the feather stem without feathers is called the feather root and inserted into the skin. There are many feathers on both sides of the upper section of the feather shaft, and each feather sends out many feathers to both sides. One feather branch is provided with a small hook, and the other feather branch is provided with a groove, so that adjacent feather branches are knotted with each other to form a feather sheet with compact structure and elasticity. Zhengzheng has the functions of flying, protecting the body and keeping warm.

2. The feather shaft is short; Feather branches are soft and clustered at the top of feather shaft; Feather branches are slender, without small hooks, and do not form feathers. Feathers are densely covered with fluff, which has the function of heat preservation and body protection.

3. Fine-feathered stems are thin and long, with few feathers, and they are born at the top of the stems, and most of them have no feathers. Small feathers are scattered on the edge of eyes, the base of beak and under normal feathers, which have the function of feeling and protecting the body.

Birds' feathers change regularly, which is called molting. Most birds' feathers fall off and are replaced in autumn. The new feathers after replacement are called winter feathers, and some or all feathers are replaced in the next spring. The replaced feather is called Stephane. The colors of Dong Yu and Xia Yu are often different. The replacement of flying feathers and tail feathers is generally symmetrical, that is, the long new feathers in pairs fall off, so that the flight can not be affected when molting.

The role of feathers in birds

Feathers on birds can provide birds with the functions of flying, keeping warm, protecting their bodies and preventing rain.

Feather is a unique attribute of birds, which gradually changed from cells to feathers in the evolution of birds. Not only provides an important safeguard function for poultry. Moreover, feathers can also provide a lot of help to human beings in the environment. It has high economic utilization value.

Extended data:

Normal feathers are distributed on the body surface, wings and tail, including large feathers (profile feathers) outside the coat, flying feathers and tail feathers planted on the wings and tail. The number of flying feathers and tail feathers is constant. At the end of the feather shaft is a feather root deeply embedded in the skin.

There are many parallel feather branches on both sides of the feather shaft, and both sides of each feather branch are divided into neatly arranged feather branches. The 1 row of spire branches far from the spire has many spire branches, and their tips have thin hooks, which are connected with the near spire branches to form flat and elastic feathers to fan the air and protect the body.

The downy feather is closely below the normal feather, and the feather branches are slender and filiform, which are inserted at the top of the feather root. Feather branches are short, and the top is tufted with filiform feathers. There are no hooks on the feather branches, and there are no feathers or thin hooks, so they can't be connected into feathers, so the feather branches are fluffy and fluffy.

Waterfowl feathers are relatively developed, and duck feathers are such feathers. The feathers that cover the body surface of chicks after breaking their shells are called young feathers. Early chicks develop, and late chicks are sparse or even absent. Down has no feathers at all.

Semi-down is a kind of feather between down and normal feather, which has the structure of normal feather, but lacks hook and flange, so it is as fluffy as down. Generally distributed under feathers.

Feathers, also known as "hairiness", are scattered between normal feathers and down, with only a slender hairline and a small number of feathers and twigs at the top. The basic function of hairiness is touch. Feather shaft is slender, mixed with normal feathers and down.

There are few or no feathers, and the feathers are small, which is a degenerate normal feather. Fine hair, also known as hairy feathers, is inserted between the edge of the eyes, the base of the beak and the normal feathers and down.

Powder? A kind of specialized down, which can grow for life without falling off. The feather branches and twigs at the end are constantly broken into powder particles, which helps to clean the dirt on the feathers or make the feathers waterproof. Heron powder? Developed patch distributed in chest, abdomen and lateral abdomen. The powder of eagle and parrot is all over the body. Birds that usually lack tail glands have produced pollen. .

Baidu encyclopedia-feather

Birds' feathers have four functions.

The first is to keep your body temperature. The outer layer of feathers is rough and the inner layer is extremely soft, and the combination of inside and outside is like a close-fitting coat.

The second is flying. Birds with weak wings and feathers can't take off or fly high enough or far enough.

Third, colorful feathers are used to attract spouses to reproduce. Peacock, mandarin duck, golden pheasant and other birds are particularly prominent in this regard.

Finally, protect your body. Some people don't quite agree with this when I explain birds. A child said that feathers are soft and can't stop the claws and teeth of raptors and beasts. I said, so feathers evolved into hard ones? Tortoise shell? Or tank-like armor? How can that bird take off?

Imagine what it would be like for a person to walk through bushes and thorns in only shorts and vest, and you will know how bird feathers protect your body.