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plumule
References
Images
development of a down feather feather types
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plumule

feather
Also known as: down feather
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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Learn about this topic in these articles:

  • zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
    bird
    / Feathers

    Down feathers have loose-webbed barbs, all rising from the tip of a very short shaft. Their function is insulation, and they may be found in both pterylae and apteria in adult birds. They also constitute the first feather coat of most young birds. Filoplumes are…

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    Down feathers have loose-webbed barbs, all rising from the tip of a very short shaft. Their function is insulation, and they may be found in both pterylae and apteria in adult birds. They also constitute the first feather coat of most young birds. Filoplumes are…

    Read More
  • integument
    / Birds

    …devices; filoplumes (hair feathers) and plumules (down feathers) are used principally as insulation, to conserve body heat. Colours and patterns in feathers serve as protective coloration or for sexual display.

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    …devices; filoplumes (hair feathers) and plumules (down feathers) are used principally as insulation, to conserve body heat. Colours and patterns in feathers serve as protective coloration or for sexual display.

    Read More