A covert feather or tectrix on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts (or tectrices), which cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail.
Topside of a chicken wing showing all major feather groups
The ear coverts are small feathers behind the bird's eye which cover the ear opening (the ear of a bird has no external features)
Tail covertsedit
A rear view of an Indian peacock's true tail and elongated uppertail covert feathers
The uppertail and undertail coverts cover the base of the tail feathers above and below. Sometimes these coverts are more specialised. The "tail" of a peacock is made of very elongated uppertail coverts.
Wing covertsedit
The upperwing coverts fall into two groups: those on the inner wing, which overlay the secondary flight feathers, known as the secondary coverts, and those on the outer wing, which overlay the primary flight feathers, the primary coverts. Within each group, the feathers form a number of rows. The feathers of the outermost, largest, row are termed greater (primary-/secondary-) coverts; those in the next row are the median (primary-/secondary-) coverts, and any remaining rows are termed lesser (primary-/secondary-) coverts. The underwing has corresponding sets of coverts (the names upperwing coverts and underwing coverts are used to distinguish the corresponding sets). In addition, the front edge of the wing is covered with a group of feathers called the marginal coverts. Within each group of wing coverts, the rows of feathers overlap each other like roof tiles (the greater coverts are overlain by the median coverts, which in turn are overlain by the outermost row of lesser coverts, and so on).
covert, feather, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, 2018, learn, when, remove, this, message, covert, feather, te. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations May 2018 Learn how and when to remove this message A covert feather or tectrix on a bird is one of a set of feathers called coverts or tectrices which cover other feathers The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail Topside of a chicken wing showing all major feather groups Contents 1 Ear coverts 2 Tail coverts 3 Wing coverts 4 See also 5 ReferencesEar coverts editThe ear coverts are small feathers behind the bird s eye which cover the ear opening the ear of a bird has no external features Tail coverts edit nbsp A rear view of an Indian peacock s true tail and elongated uppertail covert feathersThe uppertail and undertail coverts cover the base of the tail feathers above and below Sometimes these coverts are more specialised The tail of a peacock is made of very elongated uppertail coverts Wing coverts editThe upperwing coverts fall into two groups those on the inner wing which overlay the secondary flight feathers known as the secondary coverts and those on the outer wing which overlay the primary flight feathers the primary coverts Within each group the feathers form a number of rows The feathers of the outermost largest row are termed greater primary secondary coverts those in the next row are the median primary secondary coverts and any remaining rows are termed lesser primary secondary coverts The underwing has corresponding sets of coverts the names upperwing coverts and underwing coverts are used to distinguish the corresponding sets In addition the front edge of the wing is covered with a group of feathers called the marginal coverts Within each group of wing coverts the rows of feathers overlap each other like roof tiles the greater coverts are overlain by the median coverts which in turn are overlain by the outermost row of lesser coverts and so on See also editFlight featherReferences editMullarney Killian Svensson Lars Zetterstrom Dan Grant Peter 1999 Collins Bird Guide London HarperCollins ISBN 0 00 219728 6 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Covert feather amp oldid 1207004380, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
