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Flight feathers (Pennae volatus) [1] are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired pennaceous feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (/ˈrɛmɪdʒiːz/), singular remex (/ˈriːmɛks/), while those on the tail are called rectrices (/rɛkˈtraɪsiːs/), singular rectrix (/ˈrɛktrɪks/). The primary function of the flight feathers is to aid in the generation of both thrust and lift, thereby enabling flight. The flight feathers of some birds have evolved to perform additional functions, generally associated with territorial displays, courtship rituals or feeding methods. In some species, these feathers have developed into long showy plumes used in visual courtship displays, while in others they create a sound during display flights. Tiny serrations on the leading edge of their remiges help owls to fly silently (and therefore hunt more successfully), while the extra-stiff rectrices of woodpeckers help them to brace against tree trunks as they hammer on them. Even flightless birds still retain flight feathers, though sometimes in radically modified forms.
The moult of their flight feathers can cause serious problems for birds, as it can impair their ability to fly. Different species have evolved different strategies for coping with this, ranging from dropping all their flight feathers at once (and thus becoming flightless for some relatively short period of time) to extending the moult over a period of several years.
Remiges[edit]
Remiges (from the Latin for "oarsman") are located on the posterior side of the wing. Ligaments attach the long calami (quills) firmly to the wing bones, and a thick, strong band of tendinous tissue known as the postpatagium helps to hold and support the remiges in place.[2] Corresponding remiges on individual birds are symmetrical between the two wings, matching to a large extent in size and shape (except in the case of mutation or damage), though not necessarily in pattern.[3][4] They are given different names depending on their position along the wing.
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Julian J. Baumel. Handbook of Avian Anatomy: Nomina Anatomica Avium. 1993
- ^ Home Study Course in Bird Biology, Second Edition, Ithaca, New York: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2003, p. 1.11
{{citation}}: Unknown parameter|editors=ignored (|editor=suggested) (help) - ^ Trail 2001, p. 8
- ^ Moller, Anders Pape; Hoglund, Jacob (1991), "Patterns of Fluctuating Asymmetry in Avian Feather Ornaments: Implications for Models of Sexual Selection", Proceedings: Biological Sciences, 245 (1312): 1–5, doi:10.1098/rspb.1991.0080
References[edit]
- Campbell, Bruce; Lack, Elizabeth, eds. (1985), A Dictionary of Birds, Carlton, England: T and A D Poyser, ISBN 0-85661-039-9
- del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi, eds. (1992), Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, ISBN 84-87334-10-5
External links[edit]
- Wing Feathers—US Fish and Wildlife Service document Contains excellent photographic examples of emargination and notching in raptor remiges.
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