Question

Feathers covering the body of a newly hatched bird are
A. Coverts
B. Contours
C. Down feathers
D. Filoplumes

Answer 1

Hint: Feathers are mainly composed of about 90% of protein. Majorly, this protein is keratin. It is a water-insoluble protein. The feathers are covered by a waxy coating that protects birds from the water. Feathers covering the body of a newly hatched bird are feathers closely attached to the skin.

Complete answer: The feather is a growth from the skin that forms the plumes of birds. Feathers play an important role in bird’s biology, both physically and behaviorally. They perform various functions such as flight, insulation and protection. In general, feathers consist of a shaft, barbs and barbules. The shaft is the midrib of the feather and it is long and circular. The shaft can be divided into rachis, which has no barbs. The hollow end of the shaft is called the calamus. Each bird will have a variable number of layers of feathers and of different types. Each type of feather has different primary purposes. The outermost layer of the feather is known as contour feathers. Primarily, contour feathers are used for flight and streamlining, but they also play an important role in protection and insulation. Just beneath the outer layer, semiplume feathers are present. They are mostly used for insulation and streamlining. A layer of feathers which is found closest to the skin of birds is down feathers. They are necessary for insulation and are commonly found on the newly hatched birds of many bird species such as ducks and chickens. Birds also contain another set of feathers which are used as a sensory tool, known as filoplumes. Filoplumes help a bird make adjustments during flight. It consists of a heavy shaft and has zero or very few barbs.
Hence, the correct answer is option C.

Note: Thin hair-like structures are known as barbs. Barbs protrude parallel to each other from the shaft. The barbs can be all interconnected by barbules. The entire section of barbs and barbules is known as the vane.