Feather Atlas (USFWS)
Definition
An online scanned-image reference collection of North American bird feathers maintained by the US Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory. Used for preliminary field identification before formal laboratory analysis.
Related terms
- Barbule microstructure
- The microscopic architecture of feather barbules, the side branches off each barb. Shape, hook density, and cross-section profile under SEM contribute to...
- Medullary index
- The ratio of medulla diameter to total hair shaft diameter, measured in cross-section or cleared preparation. Species-specific ranges allow hair identification when...
- Shahtoosh
- Wool from the chiru antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), CITES Appendix I, with a mean fibre diameter of 9-12 micrometres. Distinguished from cashmere by...
- UV fluorescence screening
- Examination of feathers or fur under long-wave ultraviolet (365 nm) to detect dyeing, bleaching, or species-characteristic fluorescence patterns. A rapid triage tool,...
- Wildman scale types
- A three-category classification of hair cuticle scales: imbricate (overlapping, widespread in mammals), coronal (stacked rings, common in small rodents), and spinous (petal-like,...
Explained in
- Hair, Feather, and Surface Covering IdentificationAn online scanned-image reference collection of North American bird feathers maintained by the US Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory. Used for prel...