Feather Structure and Behavioral Patterns in Seabirds

Abstract

The structural details of the flight and contour feathers of seabirds closely match the requirements of their habitats and feeding habits. They serve a variety of functions ranging from intraspecific signaling to such physical qualities as thermal insulation, water repellency and resistance to impact. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that they are composed of an array of elements that confer these qualities to the optimal benefit of their avian bearer. In this chapter, the physical bases for these functions are provided in both mathematical and evolutionary terms. Some functions excel at the expense of others, and many species have evolved an optimal balance between functions in terms of both feather microstructure and behavioral patterns that suit their specific habitat and feeding habits.The effects of mechanical forces on feathers are presented in terms of the impact of diving, plunging and alighting, and the structural properties in seabird feathers identifiable as adaptations to these forces. Finally, the way oiling affects the water repellency and resistance of feathers is discussed. It is concluded that the flight and contour feathers exhibit morphological and mechanical features that are advantageous for specific habitats and feeding techniques.

Future bio-inspired robots require delicate structures

“…On the contrary, seabirds only feeding on the water surface, such as gulls, prefer feathers with higher water repellency. The diameter of the barbs and the distance between them determine the water repellency and water resistance properties of the plumage ( Rijke, 1968 ), and they vary with different seabird species to match their habits ( Rijke, 2018 ).…”

Study on the microstructure characteristics, compression, and thermal insulation properties of duck down

“…Although we have proposed that the barbs and calamus are connected by two symmetrical main barbs, 7 the relationship between the number of barbs and the mass of down still needs further research to make up for the gaps in this field. There have been some studies on the structures of feathers in general, such as those of the chicken, [8][9][10][11][12][13] turkey, [14][15][16] seabird, 17 and sparrow. 18 Even though some work has been done on the morphology of down, 5,6,[19][20][21][22] it has not been reported how many barbs are distributed on a down and how they are distributed.…”