English

Noun

pterylosis ‎(plural pteryloses)

1. (ornithology) The particular arrangement of feathers on a bird.
   • 2006, Ted R. Anderson, Biology of the Ubiquitous House Sparrow:

     In a detailed study of the pterylosis of the genus Passer (with special emphasis on the house sparrow), Clench (1970) identified nine feather tracts: dorsal, scapulohumeral, femoral, ventral, lateral neck, capital, alar, crural, and caudal.

Related terms

• ptilosis

Usage notes

Pterylosis refers to the arrangement of feathers and how they are implanted in the skin, while ptilosis refers to the properties of the feathers themselves.