Feather Length

Hello Found Featherers—all 4000+ of you!

The project now implements a shiny new observation field: Feather Length (cm). This optional numeric field should help address the number one follow-up question we ask here at Found Feathers: “how long?”

Size can frequently be an important determinant of species when it comes to feathers. Relevant genera include the Accipiter hawks, the Dryobates/Dryocopus woodpeckers, and Corvidae crows. But in nearly all cases, size matters. Fortunately, most major feather ID resources provide some form of measurement, with Feather Atlas applying gridlines to its scans, Featherbase implementing a measuring tool based on DPI, and most other resources providing either per-feather measurements (ex. Federn) or rulers (ex. Puget Sound Wing and Tail Collection).

As feather finders, we have the unique privilege to closely examine a piece of a bird and take exact measurements. This is something not afforded to most birders in the field, and is perhaps one of the few advantages we have over traditional birding. You are welcome to use any method of measurement as long as you input a centimeter value into the observation field (i.e. multiply inches by a factor of 2.54). Some examples are listed below:

• Make a DIY backdrop with paper and clear packaging tape per @koaw’s excellent instructions: https://youtu.be/c1jMZVqxwCA?t=265
• Bring a ruler, measuring tape, or mini-ruler into the field (ex. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44487747)
• Photograph the feather next to an object of known size (ex. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/19452420)

If you can’t do any of the above, you can leave the field blank. Fingers/hands can also serve as a convenient proxy. But do be aware that it can be tricky for identifiers to gauge scale from a photo alone, so numbers are often helpful.

Questions or concerns? Let me know in the comments!

Posted on October 5, 2023 01:04 AM by featherenthusiast