Evaluate Basic External Animal Anatomy and Morphology - AgriSETA

Evaluate Basic External Animal Anatomy and MorphologyPrimary Agriculture NQF Level 1 Unit Standard No: 11617320The feathers face backwards so that the bird has a nice roundedappearance.The whole body of a pigeon and that of most of the birds that fly is shapedin such a way that it is streamlined to give as little resistance in flight aspossible.The body of a pigeon is shaped like a boat.The Pigeon has different kinds of feathers, namely:• Quill feathersThe quill feathers are found on the wings and at the end of the tail.They enlarge the surface of the wing and tail. They help the animal tobe able to fly. The feathers’ surface area is big compared to theirweight.• Contour feathersThe contour feathers are similar to the quill feathers but are smaller.They help the bird to be streamlined and also conserve body heat.• Down feathersThey cover the young pigeon and help to conserve heat in the youngpigeon. Down feathers play an important role in water-living birds toassist the other feathers in conserving heat.• Filo-plumesThey are fine and hair-like and occur under the quill and contourfeathers. The bird uses these feathers to determine the direction of thequill feathers.Version: 01 Version Date: July 2006