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Since the 20th century, scientific ornithology has been closely linked to the conservation of birds. The study of feathers is a factor that is often overlooked. In museums, the majority of their bird skin collections are archived, stored away in drawers under lock and key and only ever seen by a very selective audience and not the general public.

You only love what you know, and you only protect what you love.

Konrad Lorenz

Being able to touch, feel and study a feather in the hand engages people, especially children, with nature; what child hasn’t stopped to pick up a feather in a park or their backyard and marvel at it, and wonder what bird it came from. From a long, slender Arctic Tern primary, which has undertaken an incredible migratory journey of around 37.000 miles / 60.000 kilometers from pole to pole, to the soft, downy feather of a Barn Owl, helping the bird to fly on silent wings as it hunts at night; every feather has a fascinating story to tell, each so unique in its makeup, shape, form, texture, color and function it serves to the bird. Feathers can teach us so much about birds and how they live. They bring people closer to the natural world – and therefore play an important role in its preservation.

Featherbase is a working group of German feather scientists and other collectors worldwide who came together with their personal collections and created the biggest and most comprehensive online feather library in the world. Using our website, it is possible to identify feathers from hundreds of different species, compare similarities between them, work out gender or age-specific characteristics and look at the statistics of countless feather measurements. In contrast to the conventional work of museums, Featherbase is much more oriented towards the general public, allowing not just enrolled scientists the opportunity to gain access to the collection, but anyone with an interest in studying birds and their feathers. Featherbase also frequently collaborates with scientific or educational organizations by offering images, data or teamwork in general.

Featherbase works completely independently, without administrative affiliation, and first and foremost without commercial interests. We are a non-profit making entity and funded entirely by our own contributors. The collecting of feathers and skins for our database is approved by the relevant authorities, and for any protected/CITES listed species held, we are fastidious about maintaining records of their origin.

2046

species

7807

specimens

18814

images

117350

measurements

recent changes

Andreas Stumpner uploaded a new species image for Brant goose (Branta bernicla)

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase uploaded a new image to 1649 inside Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase uploaded a new image to 1611 inside Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase uploaded a new image to 1362 inside Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11109 in Black-chested Prinia (Prinia flavicans) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11108 in Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11107 in Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11106 in Trilling Cisticola (Cisticola woosnami) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11105 in Pectoral-patch Cisticola (Cisticola brunnescens) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11104 in Wing-snapping Cisticola (Cisticola ayresii) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11103 in Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11102 in Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11101 in Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11100 in Lazy Cisticola (Cisticola aberrans) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

06.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11098 in Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

05.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11097 in Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

05.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11095 in Moustached warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon) for Wolf-Dieter Busching

05.02.2025

Alexander Haase created the specimen 11088 in Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

02.02.2025

Benjamin Großheide created the specimen 11087 in Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)

31.01.2025

Alexander Haase uploaded a new image to 9635 inside European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

27.01.2025

Alexander Haase uploaded a new image to 9656 inside Common murre (Uria aalge)

27.01.2025

Alexander Haase uploaded a new image to 9640 inside Common murre (Uria aalge)

27.01.2025

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