You searched for: “plumules
plumule, plumules
Soft down feathers.

In adult birds, down forms a kind of "underwear" beneath the main feathers; while chicks develop a covering of down (natal down or neossoptile feathers) varying in thickness according to the species. Their main function is insulation.

This entry is located in the following unit: plum-, plumi-, -plume + (page 2)