Jennifer Boothroyd - Feathers: Body Coverings

People need special permission to collect bald eagle feathers.

Feathers are made of keratin. Human fingernails are made of the same material.

For centuries, people used feather quills for writing with ink.

In many kinds of birds, the male has more colorful feathers than the female.

The feathers of flamingos change color depending on what they eat.

A penguin has short feathers. They are very close together. They keep water away from the penguins skin.

Some hummingbirds have fewer than 1,000 feathers. Some swans have more than 25,000.

beaks the hard mouthparts of birds

feathers light body parts that cover a birds skin

shed to lose or fall off

skin the outer covering of a person or animal

survive to keep living

clean

colors

float

flying

shed

skin

survive

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