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Posted by Ken Schneider on 07:44:36 03/31/12
In Reply to: Re: Bald Eagle Nest in Pembroke Pines posted by Ken Schneider
This photo of one of the adults, taken January 16, 2012, shows how the outermost 12 or 13 (primary) flight feathers are arranged. Note that the outer 5 or 6 feathers (arising from the fingers of the "hand," and often called pinions) are particularly long and pointed. The others become more rounded at the tip. The next row of feathers (secondaries) are shorter and more regular in pattern. The when the wing is closed, each outermost feather covers the one closer to the body, thus shading the trailing edge of the feather. This accounts for the bleaching of the leading edge of the feather as seen in the one I photographed under the eagle nest. It also demonstrates how the wing coverts shade the bases of the flight feathers, preventing them from bleaching in this area. The feather I found probably is one of the longest of the pinions
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