Aftershaft (Noun)
Meaning
A supplementary feather (usually small) on the underside of the base of the shaft of some feathers in some birds.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The aftershaft of the owl's flight feather is especially long and helps to reduce noise during hunting.
- Some bird species have aftershafts that are almost as long as the main shaft, while others have very short ones.
- The aftershaft is sometimes barely visible, but it can play a significant role in flight control for certain bird species.
- In bird identification, the presence or absence of an aftershaft can be a useful characteristic.
- The aftershaft is usually smaller and softer than the main shaft of the feather, but it still provides some support and structure.