Crest (feathers)

The crest is a prominent feature exhibited by several

cockscombs

- sometimes erroneously referred to as "crests", which are bony and fleshy structures respectively.

The crest is made up of semiplume feathers: a long rachis with barbs on either side. These are plumulaceous feathers, meaning that they are soft and bendable. In birds, these semiplumes are common along the head, neck, and upper back, and may be used for buoyancy and sensing vibrations.

Crests on birds are generally used for

Major Mitchell's cockatoo (also known as the Leadbeater's cockatoo) possesses a prominent recursive crest.^[3] Some birds, like the galah, or rose-breasted cockatoo, have modified crests, which has features of both recumbent and recursive types.^[3]

Many domesticated bird species have crest feathers.[5] These structures are known to have two origins: selective breeding or mutations. Crest feathers in domestic birds include a wide range of variations in form across species. The underlying molecular and genetic mechanisms that are responsible for crest feather formation in domesticated bird species are not well understood. As such, crest feathers are widely studied in morphological research and other related biological disciplines, particularly concerning domesticated species.^[6]