All ducks, geese and swans moult their large flight feathers, the primary
wing feathers, every summer.
Abstract: Feather trauma is a common problem among pet birds, especially those with trimmed
wing feathers, and often affects remiges and rectrices.
At the same time the ringer will check the bird's age, by looking at its
wing feathers, and its health.
Pellet damage to bills and feet can be repaired, and most bird taxidermists offer replacement of damaged
wing feathers when required.
These rough patches are quill knobs, and in modern birds they anchor the
wing feathers to the skeleton to help strengthen them for active flight.
Then, it suffered an attack by ticks for which he used a herbal spray treatment and, in the monsoon, it started to naturally shed lot of
wing feathers, which regrew by September.
If you're really ambitious, you can buy a feather chopper and make your own fletching out of turkey
wing feathers from a turkey you have taken.
Over his shoulder you can see the extended
wing feathers of his bustle.
She said: "It's a male ringneck but the
wing feathers are a bit of a mess, so not sure if it's a mutation of a ringneck."
The tail and
wing feathers are gray, except for the black-bordered white tips on the tail.
It is fortunately recovering but has a nasty bite mark on its body and all of its
wing feathers on one side were ripped out.
Standing at a height of 4ft with long, elegant necks and a drooping, curved bustle of
wing feathers spreading over the tail, cranes make a spectacular sight.