Feather Science

Before we began to examine feathers close-up, we took our collection and divided them into:
contour and down.
Contour feathers are flight feathers, both designed and utilized differently than fluffy down feathers kept close to the bird body.

No feather collection? So many amazing books have a wide range of samples.

We each chose a contour feather to feature as a watercolour work.
Once that was painted, they used their microscopes or jewelers loupe to sketch quills/shafts, vanes and barbs. https://evavarga.net/bird-anatomy/