Umbrella spring

In some bird species, such as the stilts , the umbrella feathers are very long and "shield" the other wings when the wings are folded.

The inner three to five arm wings of a bird's wing are called umbrella feathers , as they protect the folded wing and protect it. B. shield against moisture . In the passerine birds there are z. B. three feathers and five feathers in the Limikolen , which as shield feathers usually have a different color and pattern, but also have a different shape. They are generally significantly longer than the neighboring regular arm swing. Due to their protective function, they wear out faster and are renewed more often. Often they are subject to a special moulting control .

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