It’s almost winter here and time for the skin to ask for more moisture. So I apply extra coat of Vaseline for my kids to retain some moisture in their body. My girls asked several questions on this as to why do our skin get dry during this period and why moisture is needed and the like. With my limited knowledge, I tried to tell them all that I knew.
Some days back, my girls came back home carrying a bird’s feather in their hand. They loved the very feel of its feathers.
One fine day, Swathi asked me, “How come a bird’s feather is soft in all seasons?”
Me: By nature it is soft
Swathi: Even without applying Vaseline, their skin remains soft, is it not? How is that possible?
For a moment I wondered what kinds of questions my kids have in their mind. What makes them compare their body with that of a bird? Do they feel that all God’s creations are similar? I then answered her, “it is because they cannot apply any moisturizer during any season that God has made their skin so soft during all seasons.”
She seemed to be convinced with the answer that I gave and I breathed a sigh of relief. But she did not stop there. She asked me, “Aren’t feathers a part of a bird’s body?”
Me: Undoubtedly
Swathi: Then how can it continue to fly after dropping this feather down? Does any of my body part fall down as I walk?
I was wondering why she is comparing again and again, but I found it my duty to find this answer out for her and came to know about molting. For Mothers who encounter such a question from their kid or for others who would like to know more about why a bird sheds a feather down, here is the answer that I collected from the internet.
Bird feathers do wear out. Once or twice a year, birds shed their old feathers and grow new ones. This process is called molting. Most birds molt in late summer or fall, after they have raised their young and before they migrate to their winter home.
As new feathers grow, they push out old ones. Most birds molt one feather from each wing at a time so they can keep their balance in the air. Many ducks and geese molt all flight feathers at once, so they can't fly for several weeks and must avoid predators by swimming away or hiding on islands. Most birds take weeks to grow a completely new coat of feathers.
Some days back, my girls came back home carrying a bird’s feather in their hand. They loved the very feel of its feathers.
One fine day, Swathi asked me, “How come a bird’s feather is soft in all seasons?”
Me: By nature it is soft
Swathi: Even without applying Vaseline, their skin remains soft, is it not? How is that possible?
For a moment I wondered what kinds of questions my kids have in their mind. What makes them compare their body with that of a bird? Do they feel that all God’s creations are similar? I then answered her, “it is because they cannot apply any moisturizer during any season that God has made their skin so soft during all seasons.”
She seemed to be convinced with the answer that I gave and I breathed a sigh of relief. But she did not stop there. She asked me, “Aren’t feathers a part of a bird’s body?”
Me: Undoubtedly
Swathi: Then how can it continue to fly after dropping this feather down? Does any of my body part fall down as I walk?
I was wondering why she is comparing again and again, but I found it my duty to find this answer out for her and came to know about molting. For Mothers who encounter such a question from their kid or for others who would like to know more about why a bird sheds a feather down, here is the answer that I collected from the internet.
Bird feathers do wear out. Once or twice a year, birds shed their old feathers and grow new ones. This process is called molting. Most birds molt in late summer or fall, after they have raised their young and before they migrate to their winter home.
As new feathers grow, they push out old ones. Most birds molt one feather from each wing at a time so they can keep their balance in the air. Many ducks and geese molt all flight feathers at once, so they can't fly for several weeks and must avoid predators by swimming away or hiding on islands. Most birds take weeks to grow a completely new coat of feathers.
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