The Silent Partner

Birds take a lot of undue credit. Just because they can fly, they are idolized. Sometimes they are brightly coloured, again attracting attention. In both cases, the bird is not key. Without feathers, a bird is nothing special. Without feathers, a bird is a strange-looking thing, with gawky legs, bulging eyes, rough skin and a beak. Without feathers, a bird could never fly.

The feather is made from similar proteins to our fingernails. Feathers are stronger, and more complex. The same structures which trapped air for insulation happened to also be light and strong. They increase volume and area with little weight gain. Bats are somehow admired less than birds by mundane bird-lovers, though bats also fly. They are not seen as being so pretty, perhaps.