contour feather

"However, it could be a covert or a contour feather, especially since the latter are not well known in Archaeopteryx."

Sleek contour feathers over thick down, pearls of water running over white feathers thick and curled as paper sculpture.

He was so close she could hear his contour feathers buzz in the wind.

The down-feathers are generally completely hidden by the contour feathers: they form in many birds, such as gulls and ducks, a thick underclothing comparable to the under-fur of mammals such as the seals.

Most of the down and contour feathers were removed to allow the preservative to reach the skin.