How to Look Really Smart and Identify that Bird Feather You Found

Don't have time to become a master ornithologist in your spare time or wade into the marshes every weekend with your local bird club? No sweat, just check out the Feather Atlas, from the National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Lab. It's really easy to use--if I can do it, you can, too!

I found 2 different feathers recently and wondered which birdies had lost them. You never know what you might learn by picking up a feather and studying the bird. Could be your bird totem, or maybe that feather has appeared to signal a new lesson. Sure, I had delusions of spending all my extra time with binoculars and a bird book, but my attempts so far have been frustrating and time-consuming. (Those birds need to sit STILL until I find the right page, dammit!)

By using the Feather Atlas, I discovered that I had correctly identified one feather (a blue jay!), and the 2nd one turned out to be from a mourning dove. Do these feathers and their birds have something to teach me? Well, now that I know the bird, I can meditate on the symbolism, and I'll let you know!