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Parts of a Bird Glossary
This page here is to help with some of the
birding jargon we use on our website. Whether you need a refresher
or are a new birder this section will help you find your way around
bird identification.
Head:
 Cheek-
The group of feathers found under and behind the eye of a bird.
Crown- The top part of a birds head.
Eye Ring- The feathers lining the eye
in a circle
Lores- These are the feathers of a bird
that are found between their eyes and their beaks.
Lower Mandible- The lower part of the
beak
Malar- A stripe of feathers traveling from the beak to the body
that looks like a mustache
Nape- The group of feathers behind the
bird’s head
Nasal bristles- These are feathers that
look like hairs coming out of the bird’s feathers around their nose.
Superciilium- This is a stripe
above the bird’s eye that resembles an eyebrow.
Superaloral- The group of feathers
found above the lores.
Upper Mandible- The top part of the
beak.
Upper Body:
Mantle-The feathers covering the
“shoulder” of a bird, between the wings
Nape- The group of feathers separating
the head and the body
Rump- The feathers at the lower end of
the bird’s body.
Uppertail Coverts- The feathers
covering the base of the feathers of the tail
Lower Body:
Breast- The upper chest area of the
bird.
Flanks- The lower sides of a bird
Tarsus- The legs of a bird
Undertail Coverlets- The feathers
underneath the bird covering the base of the tail feathers.
Wing Feathers:
 Anula-
A small stiff feather at the “elbow” of a bird that helps with
flight control.
Primaries- The main flight feathers of
a bird. They are found at the outer edges farthest away from the
bird.
Primary Coverlets- The feathers on the
top of the wing covering the base of the primary flight feathers
Secondaries- The outside flight
feathers found closer to the body of the bird.
Secondary Coverlets- The feathers on
the top of the bird covering the base of the secondary feathers
Underwing Coverlets- The group of
feathers covering the base of the flight feathers at the bottom of
the bird’s wing
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