Fergus Gill / 2020VISION / Dunlin (Calidris alpina) ruffling its feathers after washing, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK, June.

Fergus Gill / 2020VISION / Sanderling (Calidris alba) in breeding plumage, ruffling its feathers on beach, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK, June.

Peter Cairns / 2020VISION / Two Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea) interacting in flight, Shetland Isles, Scotland, UK, June.

Peter Cairns / 2020VISION / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) perched on a branch drying its feathers, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK, July.

Peter Cairns / 2020VISION / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) on feeding perch with fish prey, shaking water from feathers, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK, July.

Peter Cairns / 2020VISION / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) drying feathers on feeding perch with fish prey, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK, July.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Illustration of different feather types, including flight feathers, filoplumes, down, and semiplume feathers. Pencil and watercolor painting.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / European Black vulture (Aegypius monachus) preening, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / European Black vulture (Aegypius monachus) preening, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / European Black vulture (Aegypius monachus) head profile, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / European Black vulture (Aegypius monachus) rear view of head feathers, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / European Black vulture (Aegypius monachus) rear view of head, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / European Black vulture (Aegypius monachus) rear view of back feathers, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) head down feeding, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) back feathers, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / Black kite (Milvus migrans) side view of wings and feathers, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / European bee eater (Merops apiaster) preening at breeding site, Danube delta rewilding area, Romania June

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / European bee eater (Merops apiaster) pair at nest at breeding site, Danube delta rewilding area, Romania, June

Sharon Heald / African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) fluffing feathers up before flight, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, October 2012

Juan Carlos Munoz / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in flight. Simien National Park, Ethiopia, Africa.

Markus Varesvuo / Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) two males fighting, in territorial battle, Kuusamo Finland April

Markus Varesvuo / Ural Owl (Stix uralensis) perched in snowy tree, Kuusamo Finland February

Mark MacEwen / Red-and-green / Green winged (Ara chloropterus) close-up of feathers, captive, Brazil

Mark MacEwen / Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) close-up of feathers. Captive, Brazil, South America.

Mark MacEwen / Blue-and-Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) captive, Brazil, South America.

Mark MacEwen / Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) feathers close-up. Captive, Brazil, South America.

Mark Carwardine / Close up of Kakapo (Strigops habroptila) feather in a traditional feather cloak at the Te Papa Museum, Wellington, New Zealand

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli) head portrait, Macquarie Island, Sub-Antarctic Australia. November.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Juvenile White-flippered Penguin (Eudyptula minor albosignata) with some downy feathers remaining, Canterbury, New Zealand November.

Bert Willaert / Plucked remnants of a shot Golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus), Georgia, September.

Christophe Courteau / Black Collared Hawk (Busarellus nigricollis) displaying wings spread, Pantanal, Brazil

Christophe Courteau / Great Curassow (Crax rubra) head in profile. Pantanal, Brazil.

Yukihiro Fukuda / Red tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubicauda) parent returns to feed large chick in nest, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, July

Yukihiro Fukuda / Red tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubicauda) parent returns to feed large chick in nest, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, July

Yukihiro Fukuda / Red tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubicauda) portrait of chick in nest, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, July

Yukihiro Fukuda / Lesser frigatebird (Fregata ariel) chick portrait, covered in downy white feathers to protect from heat of sun, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, July

Yukihiro Fukuda / Lesser frigatebird (Fregata ariel) chick calling to parents, white feathers are to protect from heat of sun, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, July

Eric Medard / Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) plucking post on fallen tree with remains of many birds killed by sparrowhawk, France, June

Eric Medard / Common kestrel (falco tunninculus) view from underneath, showing separate tail plumes, France, February

Eric Medard / Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) female eating a bird near the nest during summer, France, June

Eric Medard / Little owl (Athene noctua) young chicks wait for parents at nest, France, June

Eric Medard / Little owl (Athene noctua) two sibling chicks waiting for their parents during the day, France, June

Yukihiro Fukuda / Red footed booby (Sula sula) chick at nest in tree, covered in white feathers as protection against heat of sun, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, July

Yukihiro Fukuda / Lesser frigatebird (Fregata ariel) chick at nest, covered in white feathers as protection against heat of sun, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, July

Eric Medard / Little owl (Athene noctua) young owlets stretching wings in the rain, France, July

Eric Medard / Common buzzard (Buteo buteo) washing in water in woodland, France, November

Tui De Roy / Waved albatross (Phoebastria irrorata), detail of back feathers and grey flight feathers. Punta Cevallos, Espanola (Hood) Island, Galapagos, Ecuador, May.

Loic Poidevin / Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) in winter snow, Quebec, Canada, March

Philippe Clement / Collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) preening its tail feathers, Belgium, June

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Black footed penguin (Spheniscus demersus) close up of oil coated feathers, in rehabilitation at Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) Cape Town, South Africa

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Cape gannet (Morus capensis) covered in oil, in rehabilitation at the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) Cape Town, South Africa

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Black footed penguin (Spheniscus demersus) penguins at this juvenile stage known as 'blue' before adult plumage grows, rehabilitation at Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Bir...

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Black footed penguin (Spheniscus demersus) close up of oil coated feathers, in rehabilitation at Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) Cape Town, South Africa

Ben Lascelles / Little Nightjar (Caprimulgus parvulus) in hand with tail feathers being shown, Chaco, Argentina. October

Paul Williams / Common / Southern crested caracara (Caracara plancus) dust bathing to remove parasites, Pantanal, Pocone, Brazil

LYNN M. STONE / Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) in breeding plumage, courtship display with plumes raised; note how characteristic yellow feet of the species have morphed into orange. Osceola County, Florida, USA, March.

Andy Rouse / Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) male displaying Wales, UK March

Andy Rouse / Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) male displaying Wales, UK March

Andy Rouse / Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) male displaying Wales, UK March

Andy Rouse / Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) male flying in to females at dawn, UK March

David Noton / Common peafowl (Pavo cristatus) male displaying, Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka

Vladimir Medvedev / Whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea), Iony Island / Jonas' Island, Sea of Okhotsk, Far East Russia, July

Vladimir Medvedev / Whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea) rear view, Iony Island / Jonas' Island, Sea of Okhotsk, Far East Russia, July

Vladimir Medvedev / Whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea), Iony Island / Jonas' Island, Sea of Okhotsk, Far East Russia, July

Vladimir Medvedev / Whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea), Iony Island / Jonas' Island, Sea of Okhotsk, Far East Russia, July

Vladimir Medvedev / Whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea), Iony Island / Jonas' Island, Sea of Okhotsk, Far East Russia, July

Vladimir Medvedev / Whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea), Iony Island / Jonas' Island, Sea of Okhotsk, Far East Russia, July

Vladimir Medvedev / Whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea), Iony Island / Jonas' Island, Sea of Okhotsk, Far East Russia, July

Vladimir Medvedev / Whiskered auklets (Aethia pygmaea), Iony Island / Jonas' Island, Sea of Okhotsk, Far East Russia, July

Vladimir Medvedev / Whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea), Iony Island / Jonas' Island, Sea of Okhotsk, Far East Russia, July

Ernie Janes / Close up of newly laid free range hens eggs of different colours from various breeds, March, 2012.

Bernard Castelein / Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus). Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, Tripura, India.

Bernard Castelein / Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus). Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, Tripura, India.

Konrad Wothe / Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno costaricensis) male perching portrait, Costa Rica

David Tipling / 2020VISION / Detail of Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) primary feathers. Farne Islands, Northumberland, July.

Colin Varndell / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) preening, Slimbridge, UK, February

Claudio Contreras / Detail of Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris / Agriocharis ocellata) plumage. El Mirador-Rio Azul National Park, Department of Peten, Guatemala.

Claudio Contreras / Detail of Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris / Agriocharis ocellata) plumage. El Mirador-Rio Azul National Park, Department of Peten, Guatemala.

Nick Upton / Adult Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) flying with a twig in its beak for its tree top nest, Regent's Park, London, UK, February.

Orsolya Haarberg / Male Arctic fox (Vulpes / Alopex lagopus) feeding on Northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) blue morph winter coat, Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, Iceland, April

Orsolya Haarberg / Ash plume from the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull ice cap, coloured red by the rising Sun, Iceland, 7 May 2010

Erlend Haarberg / Farm in Fljotsdalur with plume from the subglacial volcanic eruption under the Eyjafjallajokull ice cap around mountain, Iceland, May 2010

Markus Varesvuo / Black vulture (Aegypius monachus) portrait, with outstretched wing, Spain, April

Markus Varesvuo / Black vulture (Aegiptus monachus) on ground with wings spread, Spain, December

Markus Varesvuo / Sand martin (Riparia riparia) on twig preening, Hungary, June

Markus Varesvuo / Male Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) displaying female feeding nearby, Loviisa, Finland, May

Markus Varesvuo / Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) pair with male displaying, Loviisa, Finland, May

Markus Varesvuo / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) in flight, Vaala, Finland, June

Markus Varesvuo / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) calling, Vaala, Finland, June

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Striated green heron (Butorides striatus) perched on rock with head feathers blowing in the wind, Oman, March.

Dave Watts / Tasmanian native hen (Tribonyx / Gallinula mortierii) shaking out its feathers, Tasmania, Australia, January

Loic Poidevin / Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) standing over dead Canada goose (Anser canadensis) Quebec, Canada, October

Roland Seitre / Tropical feather products for examination at the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, Ashland, Oregon, USA

Roland Seitre / Deatil of Macaw feather product for examination at the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, Ashland, Oregon, USA