The basic answer is they have feathers and also bones that are hollow, making them light and still strong. But there is more to the story of feathers than just flying. In fact bird feathers have a lot of different uses.

What are birds feathers coated with?

To achieve that, aquatic birds coat their feathers with an oily substance known as preen oil, which is secreted from a gland on their rumps, above their tail feathers. This gland, known as the uropygial or preen gland, is present in nearly all birds, but its shape and size varies among species.

What protein are bird feathers made of?

As it turns out, there’s a major family of protein building blocks largely responsible, beta-keratin. Beta-keratin is found in just two existing groups of animals: reptiles and birds. It’s the stuff of claws, scales, beaks and feathers.