page_title: Feather
section_title: In religion and culture
hierarchical_section_title: Feather / Human usage / In religion and culture
caption_attribution_description: Español: Mosaico de plumas (colibrí, canario y pato) y óleo sobre papel amate. Marco de caoba, carey y hueso esgrafiado con tinta negra; marco interior de palofierro y vidrio soplado
context_page_description: Feathers are epidermal growths that form distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on dinosaurs, both avian and some non-avian, and possibly other archosauromorphs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They are among the characteristics that distinguish the extant birds from other living groups.
  Although feathers cover most of the bird's bodies, they arise only from certain well-defined tracts on the skin. They aid in flight, thermal insulation, and waterproofing. In addition, coloration helps in communication and protection. Plumology is the name for the science that is associated with the study of feathers.
context_section_description: Eagle feathers have great cultural and spiritual value to American Indians in the US and  First Nations peoples in Canada as religious objects. In the United States the religious use of eagle and hawk feathers is governed by the eagle feather law, a federal law limiting the possession of eagle feathers to certified and enrolled members of federally recognized Native American tribes.
  In South America, brews made from the feathers of condors are used in traditional medications. In India, feathers of the Indian peacock have been used in traditional medicine for snakebite, infertility, and coughs.
  During the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, there was a booming international trade in plumes for extravagant women's hats and other headgear.  Frank Chapman noted in 1886 that feathers of as many as 40 species of birds were used in about three-fourths of the 700 ladies' hats that he observed in New York City. This trade caused severe losses to bird populations (for example, egrets and whooping cranes). Conservationists led a major campaign against the use of feathers in hats. This contributed to passage of the Lacey Act in 1900, and to changes in fashion. The ornamental feather market then largely collapsed.
  More recently, rooster plumage has become a popular trend as a hairstyle accessory, with feathers formerly used as fishing lures now being used to provide color and style to hair. Today, feathers used in fashion and in military headdresses and clothes are obtained as a waste product of poultry farming, including chickens, geese, turkeys, pheasants, and ostriches. These feathers are dyed and manipulated to enhance their appearance, as poultry feathers are naturally often dull in appearance compared to the feathers of wild birds.
  Feather products manufacturing in Europe has declined in the last 60 years, mainly due to competition from Asia.
  Feathers have adorned hats at many prestigious events such as weddings and Ladies Day at racecourses (Royal Ascot).
caption: Mexican featherwork painting of Isidore the Laborer made from duck, hummingbird and canary feathers. This style of painting, popular during the Novohispanic era, integrates featherwork of pre-Hispanic origin with Christian iconography. 18th century, Museo Soumaya
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