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Scientists have taken a microscopic look at the belly feathers of the male desert sandgrouse, the only bird whose feathers can absorb and hold water. Depositphotos. View 1 Image 1 / 1.
Naturally, most birds have water-repellent feathers. “Birds don’t want to get wet and heavy because that limits their flying capabilities,” says Jochen Mueller, the study’s coauthor and an ...
A closeup of the Namaqua sandgrouse’s feather, which locks in water with straw-like structures. The Namaqua sandgrouse is a small, unassuming, and pigeon-like bird. It lives in the arid regions ...
The male sandgrouse are the only birds known to hold water like this—their specially adapted belly feathers are the key. Other researchers first documented these extraordinary belly feathers more than ...
The old saying “like water off a duck’s back” is well-earned – the water-loving birds have specialized feathers that keep them from getting too wet. Now, engineers at Virginia Tech have ...
Birds of a feather: Science provides the answer to how sandgrouse hold water in their plumage. by Blathnaid O’Dea. 12 Apr 2023. Save article ...
Splashing around in water doesn’t just get a bird clean – it can also repair broken feathers from the inside. Marc Meyers at the University of California, San Diego and his colleagues ...
How an African bird might inspire a better water bottle Date: April 11, 2023 Source: Johns Hopkins University Summary: An extreme closeup of feathers from a bird with an uncanny ability to hold ...