Feathers: An Identification Guide to the Feathers of Western European Birds

Cover
Title
Copyright
Contents
Abbreviations used in this guide
Introduction
1. Collecting methods, conservation and identification
	Finding feathers
	Gathering the first clues
	Making feathers identifiable
	Preserving feathers
	Identifying feathers
2. Factors useful for identification
	The feather
	The names of the feathers on a bird
	Descriptive vocabulary
	Feather measurements
	Feather size variation
	Graphs of relative feather sizes
	Key tables
3. Determining the location of a feather on a bird
	How to use the identification key
	Remarks on the feather descriptions and the vocabulary used
	Key for determining feather type
4. Flight and tail feather shapes and adaptations
	Relationship between feather shape and the form of the wings and tail
	Adaptations and convergences
5. Keys to flight and tail feather determination
	Colour criteria
	Criteria of the 3-dimensional structure
	Criteria of shape and silhouette
6. Some examples of identifiable body feathers
	Owls
	Partridges, pheasants and grouse
	Pigeons and doves
	Aquatic birds Bright colours
	Light/dark contrasts
7. Exercise in the identification of some feathers of common species
	A beginner’s exercise
	Aid to identification
8. Species descriptions
	Explanation of the grouping of species in the descriptions
	Contents of the descriptive pages
	Groups described
	Passerines
	Near passerines
	Aquatic birds of coast and wetlands
	Terrestrial birds of dry habitats
	Birds of prey
Appendices
	Glossary
	Answers to the identification exercise
	Table of biometric data
	Table of numerical data used in the graphs of relative ‘large’ feather size
	Table of illustration credits and origin of feathers
	References
	Acknowledgements
Index of English names
List of scientific/English names