I found this feather lying in the driveway. It's a small feather, only about 3 inches long. As I looked it I realized that it is a beautiful thing, and then I started thinking about what a miracle of engineering it is - how light and yet how strong. And to think that this is only one out of a multitude of feathers that each bird uses to fly. And what a miracle flight is! And then I wondered how many feathers a bird DOES have. So I looked it up. The number of feathers on a bird varies according to the species, its age, and the season. Most small songbirds have between 1,500 and 3,000 feathers on their bodies. A swan, however, might have as many as 25,000 feathers. A bird of prey, such as the eagle, would have between 5,000 and 8,000 feathers.
2 comments:
I am so surprised at the number of feathers on the various birds. Thank you for researching this and I love your synopsis. One lone feather found and a new world opens.
Joan
Astounding! Your finding the feather opened the curiosity factor. So glad you researched the amount of feathers that birds have. Can't believe they have so many. Learned something new this morning thanks to your photo of a feather. betsey
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