Feather Zoom Gallery (Feathers up-close)
To navigate by keyboard, use Shift to zoom and Control to zoom out. When zoomed in, use arrow buttons to move the zoomed box around the image. Use Tab or Tab + Shift to visit Previous or Next buttons to see another specimen in the same gallery. Use Control or Command plus the letter W to close the Zoom Gallery window.
Dr. Biology
There is nothing like seeing a feather up close. To help you do this we borrowed some feathers from some or our scientists and researchers and took pictures with a special scanner and microscope so you can get a close look at them. Click on any of the feathers in the gallery below and then zoom in and explore. We also have a companion story about feathers that you might like to check out.
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Great Argus Pheasant Argusianus argus Wing feather [left] Temminck's Tragopan Pheasant Tragopan temminckii Body feather [right] |
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Scarlet Macaw Ara macao Body feather [left] Lady Amherst's Pheasant Chrysolophus amherstiae Neck feather [right] |
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Amazon Parrot Unknown species Tail feather [left] Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius Wing feather [right] |
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Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictus Neck feather [left] Wood Duck Aix sponsa Body (side) feather [right] |
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Blue & Gold Macaw Ara ararauna Wing feather top view [left] Blue & Gold Macaw Ara ararauna Wing feather bottom view [right] |
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Blue & Gold Macaw Ara ararauna Wing feather magnified top view [left] Blue & Gold Macaw Ara ararauna Wing feather magnified bottom view [right] |
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The black scale bar lines in each image are equal to 10 millimeters (one centimeter).
These feathers were collected by scientists and other researchers that have been granted a permit by the government to collect feathers. In case you did not know, in the United States it is illegal to collect feathers from most birds without a permit. So don't start pulling feathers off every bird you see. You can't even keep a feather you found on the ground. In case you would like to know about the law called, "The Migratory Bird Treaty Act," try out this link.
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