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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.

2097

species

8424

specimens

20743

images

137242

measurements
(5766 specimens)

1195

labels
(50 specimens)

recent changes

Alexander Haase uploaded a new image to 3912 inside Red-fronted Macaw (Ara rubrogenys)

09.06.2026

Benjamin Großheide uploaded a new image to 12644 inside Burchell's Glossy-Starling (Lamprotornis australis)

08.06.2026

Alexander Haase created the specimen 12827 in Inca Dove (Columbina inca)

08.06.2026

Benjamin Großheide created the specimen 12826 in Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus)

07.06.2026

Benjamin Großheide uploaded a new image to 12463 inside Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)

06.06.2026

Alexander Haase created the specimen 12825 in Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)

05.06.2026

Alexander Haase uploaded a new image to 12635 inside Sun Parakeet (Aratinga solstitialis)

02.06.2026

Alexander Haase uploaded a new image to 12168 inside Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

02.06.2026

Benjamin Großheide created the specimen 12819 in King vulture (Sarcoramphus papa)

30.05.2026

Benjamin Großheide created the specimen 12817 in Madagascar Blue-Pigeon (Alectroenas madagascariensis)

29.05.2026

Benjamin Großheide created the specimen 12816 in Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta)

29.05.2026

Benjamin Großheide created the specimen 12814 in Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias)

29.05.2026

Benjamin Großheide uploaded a new image to 1077 inside Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

29.05.2026

Benjamin Großheide created the specimen 12806 in Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus)

28.05.2026

Alexander Haase uploaded a new image to 11991 inside Rusty-collared Seedeater (Sporophila collaris)

22.05.2026

Alexander Haase created the specimen 12794 in White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

21.05.2026

Benjamin Großheide created the specimen 12782 in Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus)

17.05.2026

Benjamin Großheide created the specimen 12773 in Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus)

17.05.2026

Ryota Shinya created the specimen 12765 in Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus)

17.05.2026

Benjamin Großheide created the specimen 12761 in Elliots Pheasant (Syrmaticus ellioti)

16.05.2026

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