Feather structure

Here we have a feather, almost definitely of a wood pigeon or collared dove, including a close-up to show the detail of the individual 'barbs' and the fine hairs that ordinarily lock them together, though they've become unzipped in this instance. The bird's preening helps to reset their feathers into decent order. More information on feathers, their purpose and structure is available from birdwatching-bliss.com.