What are blood feathers?
Blood feathers, also called “pin feathers,” are new feathers that are starting to grow. Since they are actively growing, they need a large blood supply and will bleed if broken, hence the name. Each blood feather grows from a special area in the skin called a follicle. The feather has an artery and vein that extend up into it from the follicle and nourish the feather. Due to the color of the blood supply, the shaft of a blood feather will appear dark, whereas the shaft of an older feather will be white. A blood feather has a larger quill (calamus) than a mature feather. A blood feather starts out with a waxy keratin sheath that protects it while it grows. When the feather is mature, the blood supply will recede and the waxy sheath will be removed by the bird. Blood feathers appear during the moulting process as old feathers are lost and replaced by new ones. Wing and tail feathers, especially, are lost and replaced in a staggered manner during the moult so the bird will still be able t
