Plumage definition of Plumage in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

plumage, of birds: see feathers feathers, outgrowths of the skin, constituting the plumage of birds. Feathers grow only along certain definite tracts (pterylae), which vary in different groups of birds.
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plumage

the layer of feathers covering the body of a bird

plumage [′plü·mij]

(vertebrate zoology)

The entire covering of feathers of a bird.

Plumage

the feathery covering of birds. It protects the body from chilling, streamlines body contours, and increases the surface of the wings and tail for flight.

Plumage consists of feathers varying in structure. There are contour feathers, down feathers, filoplumes, powder downs, and bristles. Pterylae, areas of skin on which feathers grow, alternate with apteria, skin areas that lack feathers but are usually covered by them. Only Struthionidae, penguins, and screamers have feathers that are evenly distributed over the skin. Usually the downy feathers and powder downs are hidden by the vanes of the contour feathers that lie on one another, but in some birds, such as the vulture, the powder downs are exposed. In herons, owls, goatsuckers, swifts, and many passerines the powder downs are located on the apteria; in Crypturiformes they are located only on the pterilae. In the majority of other birds the powder downs are found over the entire body.

Plumage is renewed periodically, usually annually, by molting. The colors of plumage are due to the presence of pigments and structural properties.

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No references found	The other birds, recognising their own borrowed plumage, indignantly protested, and began to strip him. Fables by Aesop View in context At times, it seemed as if for every one of the hundred blossoms there was one of these tiniest fowls of the air,--a thumb's bigness of burnished plumage, hovering and vibrating about the bean-poles. House Of Seven Gables by Hawthorne, Nathaniel View in context One day, when he had been left alone for a few minutes, a bird with brilliant plumage came and fluttered round the window, and finally rested on the sill. The Yellow Fairy Book by Lang, Andrew View in context	plug-inless plug-to-plug compatibility plugboard plugboard chart pluge pattern plugfest Pluggable Authentication Module Plugging plugging agent Plugging Cement plugging chart plugging chisel plugging drill plugh plughole plugmold plugs & sockets plum plum blotch Plum Moth Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area Plum Pocket plum stone Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge plumaceous Plumage Plumas County Plumas National Forest Plumas-Eureka State Park Plumatellina Plumb plumb bob plumb bond plumb bond pole plumb cut plumb joint plumb level Plumb Line plumb pile plumb rise plumb rule Plumb, Sir John Harold Plumbaginaceae Plumbaginales plumbago plumber plumber's friend plumber's furnace plumber's helper plumber's rasp plumber's round iron	plum stone plum stone plum stone plum stone plum stone Plum Street Temple plum tomato plum tomatoes plum tree plum tree plum tree plum tree plum tree plum tree Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge plum trees plum trees plum trees plum trees plum trees plum trees plum tub Plum TV Digital Asset Manager Plum weevil Plum yew plum-fruited yew plum-yew plum-yew family Pluma plumaceous Plumage plumaged plumaged plumaged plumaged plumages plumages plumages plumages Plumas Plumas County Plumas County Public Health Agency Plumas County Visitors Bureau Plumas County, CA Plumas County, California Plumas Eureka Community Services District plumas lupine Plumas National Forest Plumas National Forest Plumas-Eureka State Park Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative Plumassary Plumassier plumate Plumatellina plumb plumb plumb plumb plumb plumb

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The other birds, recognising their own borrowed plumage, indignantly protested, and began to strip him.

Fables by Aesop View in context

At times, it seemed as if for every one of the hundred blossoms there was one of these tiniest fowls of the air,--a thumb's bigness of burnished plumage, hovering and vibrating about the bean-poles.

House Of Seven Gables by Hawthorne, Nathaniel View in context

One day, when he had been left alone for a few minutes, a bird with brilliant plumage came and fluttered round the window, and finally rested on the sill.

The Yellow Fairy Book by Lang, Andrew View in context

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Plumage