noun

• Any of the mainly small feathers which form the outline of an adult bird's plumage.

  ‘A set of avian feathers have even been found, including a superb fragment of a contour feather.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘They often share a follicle with a contour feather.’
  • ‘The insulation theory is based on the conclusion that primitive feathers were a type of contour feather.’
  • ‘A contour feather from the tail, as well as a small piece of skin from the abdomen, were removed from the specimen.’
  • ‘The lining of breeding nests sometimes included small contour feathers of unidentified bird species.’

  Synonyms

  plume, quill