A Comparative Microscopic and Micrometric Analysis of Birds of Different Feather Types for Identification of Species

Feathers are one of the most prominent pieces of evidence left out in a wildlife crime scene, especially in the case of crimes against birds. Very much like hair samples, these are additionally comprised of keratin protein and resist putrefaction and decay. Forensic ornithology manages the assessment and recognizable proof of these feathers through their variable class and individual characters both morphologically and microscopically. Given this, this article aims to analyze the comparative examination of morphological, microscopic, and micrometrical parameters of 13 feather sample types from different endangered birds which may prove useful and crucial in species identification even from degraded feathers obtained at the crime scene involving birds. The analysis of the mean feather length of bird species chosen for this shown variation is related to the type of feather. It has been observed that the feather length of the semiplume feather is significantly higher than for other types of feathers included in this study, that is, wing feathers and contour feathers. Analysis of rachis diameter measurement has shown a significant variation among the chosen bird species with different feather types. Feathers act as trace and corroborative evidence, which can also be used to determine elemental composition to locate the geographical region in the future to set up a reference database for correlation and comparison in case of an unknown sample with the help of this emerging branch of forensic science. Feathers can also act as a source for keratin protein profiling as an alternative tool for species identification.