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Plume (feather)

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by SchreiberBike (talk | contribs) at 16:03, 25 July 2015 (Lower case for species common names as described at MOS:LIFE using AWB). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

A plumed helmet

A plume is a special type of bird feather, possessed by egrets, ostriches, birds of paradise, quetzals, pheasants and peacocks. They often have a decorative or ornamental purpose, commonly used among marching bands and the military, worn on the hat or helmet of the wearer. When used on military headdresses, the clipped feather plume is referred to the hackle.

Brightly colored plumes are used by American coot chicks to entice their parents to feed them more food. It is a form of chick ornament.