The upperside feathers often feature wing bars that make birds easier to identify. And a small, separate group of feathers on the leading edge of the wing, the alula, is similar to a human’s thumb.

Working with bird feathers and feather identification is a tricky thing - The Feather Atlas states right up front that “Feathers are beautiful and remarkable objects.

From her messy office at the Smithsonian, ornithologist Roxie Laybourne changed aviation and crime investigation. NPR's Scott ...

Learning to identify birds can be tricky. Colorado Springs birder Cinnamon Bergeron learned by taking photos of them and looking them up online or by asking Facebook groups for help.

Carla Dove (right) and her team at the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Lab. Credit: Chip Clark, Smithsonian. Collisions between birds and airplanes can result in a range of damage, ...

The Feather Identification Lab has one of the largest bird collections in the world and contains more than half a million specimens, dating back to the late 19th century. The specimens represent ...

Wing Feathers If you’re unsure if you’re looking at a falcon , look for the LACK of fringed feathers at the edge of the wings on the hawk identification chart.

Geauga Park District is hosting its annual spring bird walk series with six walks in different venues, all from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Sundays, April 10 through May 15. Skip to Article Set weather ...

Carla Dove (left) from the Feather Identification Lab, along with anthropologist Candace Greene, examine headdresses. Donny Bajohr The Smithsonian first took an interest in Powell in 1868.

In Iowa, 212 bird species nest throughout the state during nesting season. Nesting season is a great opportunity for first-time birdwatchers to make observations and start identifying species ...

Nanostructures preserved in feather fossils more than 40 million years old show evidence that those feathers were once vivid and iridescent in color, paleontologists say.