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Writer's pictureCoco

Coco Calling: No.1 - Feathers

The random thoughts of a Christian parrot




Is a feather simply a feather? Or is it a work of art? Are all feathers the same? Or are they all unique?

I’m a Senegal parrot, and I think that my feathers are amazing. Probably too amazing to have evolved by chance. Too sophisticated. Too intricate. Too perfect. And too beautiful.



I’m a very clever parrot, and extremely proud of my feathers. I spend hours attending to them every day so that I can show them off to the world in their full glory. I have many different types of feather, each serving a special purpose. For starters, I have short fluffy ones (otherwise known as “my undies”) which keep me insulated. Rather like a miniature Eider Down. And then there are my wing feathers, long and elongated with the shaft off-centre so that I can create maximum down-draft in the air. My wing feathers have wonderful interlocking fronds.



When my owner runs his fingers through them, and bends them out of shape, their fronds immediately spring back to their original positions, locking together to provide maximum strength.



Then there are my long tail feathers, each with its own growing tip at the end. They have the flexibility to twist and fan out, acting as my aerial rudder, or bending to reduce speed. And don’t ask me how, but all of my unique, beautiful feathers always seem to grow in exactly the right place and with all the right colours. So you see, I’m really quite a work of art.

Next time you find yourself gazing at a bird, don’t just think of it as another bunch of old feathers. My feathers are my warmth, my softness, my beauty, my “action suit” and my special engineering. And above all, they serve as living proof that I was made by the hands of a wonderful, loving Creator.

Who’s a pretty boy then??

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