Male mandarins have colorful “sails” on each wing. Feathers: Displays of Brilliant Plumage by Robert Clark, published by Chronicle Books 2016 This tail feather comes from a male red bird of ...

One secret lies in their covert feathers—layers of small feathers that cover the wing’s base and shift during tricky maneuvers like landing or flying through gusty air. For a long time ...

was found in incredibly good condition — it even had traces of its delicate wing feathers and eyelids. Since the discovery, researchers have puzzled over how exactly the bird was so well-preserved.

Black at base of secondaries, contrasting with white wing bar. Adult female: similar to male, no orange in crown. Immature: somewhat pointier tail feathers than adult; a few males may lack orange ...

They may pop out in response to pishing and raise their crown feathers when agitated. Polytypic. Length 7". For bill color, see sidebar below; whitish throat; brownish upperparts; mostly pale gray ...