Parts of birds

(Topography and feather patterns)

Go to Figures or use the list below to find the part.

PartFigure Number
(Median) Crown-stripe3
Alula3,27,29
Anterior flanks30
Axillaries5,30
Barbule21
Bare facial mask8
Barred (feather pattern)21
Belly1,24,30
Bill3,7,29
Breast30
Breast-band24
Calamus21
Cancellate texture19
Central upper tail-coverts2
Centre of throat1
Cere7
Cheeks7
Chevron  (feather pattern)22
Chin1,7,12,24,26
Claw1,24
Crest8
Crown1,7,24,26,29
Culmen9
Culminicorn15
Dark central wedge (feather pattern)22
Ear-coverts1,7,24,25
Edge (feather pattern)21
Emargination21
Eye1,2,7,24,25,29
Eye-ring7,25
Eye-stripe3
Facial disc11
Feet3
Flanks1,24
Forecrown7,26
Forehead7,24,26,29
Foreneck12
Fringe (feather pattern)21
Fringe at tip (feather pattern)[Vol 2]23
Gape9,25,26
Gonys13
Gorget1,24
Granulate texture17
Greater (underwing) coverts5
Greater coverts3
Greater Primary coverts1,3,24,27,29,30
Greater Secondary coverts1,3,4,24,27,29,30
Greater under primary coverts5
Greater under secondary coverts5
Gular pouch14
Hindcrown7,26
Hindneck3,24,29
Humeral coverts4
Humerals4
Inner web21
Inter-ramal region13
Iris3,25
Lamellae14
Lateral crown-stripe3
Lateral upper tail-coverts2
Latericorn15
Lesser (underwing) coverts5
Lesser coverts3
Lesser primary coverts3
Lesser secondary coverts3
Lesser under primary coverts5
Lesser under secondary coverts5
Lobed foot18
Long lateral breast feathers12
Lores1,7,24,25,26
Lower back1,3,24,29
Lower breast1,24
Lower mandible3,7,9,25
Lower throat12
Malar area1,24
Malar stripe9,25
Mandibular ramus13
Mandibular unguis15
Mantle1,3,24,29
Marginal coverts3,4,5
Marginal primary coverts 30
Marginal secondary coverts27,29
Maxillary unguis15
Median (underwing) coverts5
Median coverts3
Median primary coverts3,27,29,30
Median secondary coverts3,27,29
Median under primary coverts5
Median under secondary coverts5
Moustacial stripe1,9,25
Nape1,7,24,26,29
Nare7
Naricorn15
Nasal groove26
Nostril7,15
Orbital-ring7
Outer web21
p13,27,29
p103,27,29
p23,27,29
p33,27,29
p43,27,29
p53,27,29
p63,27,29
p73,27,29
p83,27,29
p93,27,29
Posterior flanks30
Pre-axillary notch5
Primaries1,3,4,5,24,27,29,30
Pupil3,25
Rachis21
Ramicorn15
Ramus21
Reticulate scaling19
Retrices28
Rictal bristles9,25
Rosethorn (feather pattern)21
Rump1,3,24,28,29,30
s13,27,29
s23,27,29
s33,27,29
s43,27,29
s53,27,29
s63,27,29
s73,27,29
s83,27,29
s93,27,29
Scapulars1,3,4,24,27,29
Secondaries3,4,5,27,29,30
Shaft (feather)21
Shaft-streak (feather pattern)21
Sides of breast1,24
Speculum6
Spot (feather pattern)22
Spotted edges (feather pattern)22
Spur10
Subhumeral coverts5
Subhumerals5
Submarginal (feather pattern) [Vol. 2]23
Submoustachial stripe9,25
Subterminal band (feather pattern)21
Subterminal fringe (feather pattern)21
Sulcus15
Supercilium1,24,25
Syndactyl foot16
t12,28
t22,28
t32,28
t42,28
t52,28
t62,28
Tail1,2,3,24,29,30
Tarsus1,4,24
Tertials1,5,24,27,29
Thigh1,24
Throat7,24,26
Tip (feather pattern)21
Toe1.24
Tomia9,25
Totipalmate foot20
Undertail-coverts1,3,24,30
Unguis15
Upper back1,3,24,29
Upper breast1,24
Upper mandible3,7,9,25
Uppertail-coverts1,2,24,28,29,30
Upper throat12
Vent1,24,30
Vermiculation (feather pattern)21
Wattle10,26
Webbed foot19
Zygodactyl foot17
Fig. 1 Cinnamon Quail Thrush Cinclosoma cinnamomeum
Fig. 2 Tail of Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis
Fig. 3 Dorsum of Latham’s Snipe Gallinago hardwickii
Fig. 4 Upperwing of Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
Fig. 5 Underwing of Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia
Fig. 6 Speculum
Fig. 7 Head of Purple-crowned Lorikeet Glossopsitta porphyrocephala
Fig. 8 Head of Spinifex Pigeon Petrophassa plumifera
Fig. 9 Head of Richard’s Pipit Anthus novaehollandiae
Fig. 10 Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles novaehollandiae
Fig. 11 Head of an Owl Tyto sp.
Fig. 12 Black-faced Shag Leucocarbo fuscescens
Fig. 13 Underside of head of Pacific Gull Larus pacificus
Fig. 14 Bill of Broad-billed Prion Pachyptila vittata
Fig. 15 Bill plates of White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aecquinoctialis
Fig. 16

Syndactyl foot

Fig. 17
Zygodactyl foot
Fig 18 Lobed foot of a grebe

Fig. 19 Webbed foot of a Whistling Duck Dendrocygna sp.
Fig. 20 Totipalmate foot
Fig. 21 Feather Patterns
Fig. 22 Primary of Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus
Fig. 23 Feathers – Fringe at tip, Submarginal feather marking [Figures from Vol 2 Introduction]

Images below from Vol 5
[figure numbers changed but see the original numbers in square brackets at the end of the caption].

Fig 24 Cinnamon Quail-thrush Cinclosoma cinnamomeum [Fig. 2 from Vol 5 Introduction]
Fig 25 Head of Richard’s Pipit Anthus novaehollandiae [Fig. 3 from Vol. 5 Introduction
Fig. 26 Head of Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata [Fig. 4 from Vol. 5 Introduction]
Fig. 27 Upperwing of Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus [Fig. 5 from Vol. 5 Introduction]
Fig 28 Uppertail of Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus [Fig. 6 from Vol. 5 Introduction]
Fig. 29 Dorsum of White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea [Fig. 7 from Vol. 5 Introduction]
Fig. 30 Underwing and underbody of White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea [Fig. 8 from Vol. 5 Introduction]

BirdLife Australia (2023). Parts of birds. [Text before updates sourced from: Marchant, S. et al (eds) 1990-2006 Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds.Volume 1 to 7.] Birdlife Australia. Birdlife Australia. Source: https://hanzab.birdlife.org.au/understanding-information/parts-of-birds/ Accessed: October 27, 2025 Time Zone: +10:00