The contour feathers interlock and overlap with tiny barbs (actually called barbules), forming a water and windproof protective outer layer on their bodies.

A typical vaned feather features a main shaft, called the rachis. Fused to the rachis are a series of branches, or barbs; the barbs themselves are also branched and form the barbules. These barbules …

Jul 2, 2010 · Barbules (too tiny to show above): Barbules are mini-barbs that grow from the central shaft of each barb. The barbules on one side of the shaft are smooth. Those on the other side have tiny …

In many birds, some or all of the feathers lack the barbules or the hooks, and the plumage has a loose, hairlike appearance. …in turn, have branches, the barbules. The barbules on the distal side of each …

Sep 14, 2024 · A magnifying glass reveals that each barb has smaller barbs, called barbules, projecting from either side, toward the adjacent barbs. The barbules on one side of the barb are straight, while …

Mostly hidden beneath other feathers on the body, semiplumes have a developed central rachis but no hooks on the barbules, creating a fluffy insulating structure.

BARBULE definition: a small barb. See examples of barbule used in a sentence.