semiplume

(ˈsɛmɪˌpluːm) ornithol

a semiplume feather

adj

(of a bird's feather) intermediate in appearance between a contour feather and a down feather, having a long shaft and a downy tip; such feathers are located beneath the bird's contour feathers and provide insulation

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

References in periodicals archive

The first feather coat was a covering of moderately long light grey down-like semiplumes. These were observable as subcutaneous dark dots by day 7-8 (Figure lb) and erupted through the skin by day 11-13.

Notes on the breeding biology of the White-throated Swift in Southern California

Semiplumes lay under the contour feathers and over the down feathers.

Chapter 14: Avian

The small white feathers that lie between and beneath the contour feathers are called semiplumes. They round out the body contours and provide insulation.

Fashioned for Flight - What's Special About Feathers?

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