April 05, 2005
Pin Feathers
When the oldest eaglets are within view of the camera, we can sometimes see tiny pin feathers on their wings. Pin feathers are how new feathers are born. The feather comes out wrapped in a thin shaft of tissue, which will eventually split, allowing the new feather to unfurl and grow to its full size.
We'll talk more about eagle feathers in future Web Logs, but for now we'll mention a couple important facts. First, feathers are made of the tough protein keratin, which is the substance that makes up human hair and nails. An adult bald eagle can have around 7,000 feathers on its body, and although the feathers are light, together they will weigh twice as much as the eagle's skeleton.
Bird feathers can be broken down into several categories such as contour feathers (the most visible feathers covering a bird's body), flight feathers (on the wings and tail), and down feathers (kept closest to the skin for protection from heat and cold). Visit this excellent article on feathers if you'd like to learn more about the role that each type of feather plays in a bird's life.
Also visit the Bald Eagle Information website to see close-up photos of beautiful bald eagle feathers.
Note on the cam: Just an FYI, the eagle expert had to cancel a recent visit to the eagle nest because of the stormy weather and large amounts of rain that we've had at the Refuge. We hope that in the near future we will be able to reschedule another visit so we can seek out his advice.
Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster