How do you preserve feathers for display?

Displaying feathers is a great way to appreciate the beautiful colors and intricate patterns of birds and other animals. Properly preserving feathers takes some care and effort, but the end result is well worth it. Here are some tips on how to best preserve feathers for attractive, long-lasting displays.

Why Preserve Feathers?

There are many reasons you may want to preserve feathers:

• Decorate your home or office with beautiful feathers
• Create educational displays of bird species
• Craft jewelry, dreamcatchers, fans, and other decorative items
• Collect feathers from your birdwatching trips as mementos
• Start a collection of rare or exotic feathers

Displaying well-preserved feathers allows you to admire their natural beauty up close. It also lets you study feather structure and patterns in detail. With proper preservation, feathers can last for many years.

How to Choose Feathers for Display

When selecting feathers for preservation, look for:

• Intact feathers – avoid broken or frayed feathers
• Vibrant colors – bright, saturated colors look best
• Interesting patterns – look for eye-catching bars, spots, iridescence
• Variety of types/sizes – mix up plumage from different bird species and body areas
• Good condition – avoid feathers covered in dirt, parasites, or debris

The most visually striking feathers often come from the wings, tails, and heads of brightly colored songbirds, gamebirds, and birds of paradise. Rare or exotic feathers from ostriches, peacocks, parrots, and raptors also make excellent display pieces.

How to Remove and Collect Feathers

When collecting feathers for preservation, remove them from the bird carefully to avoid damage:

• Use scissors or pruners to cut the calamus (quill) of the feather close to the skin.
• Be extremely gentle handling feathers around the eyes, head, and neck of living birds.
• Store collected feathers in paper envelopes or breathable plastic bags.
• Record information about species, date, and location for each feather.

Never illegally collect feathers from wild birds. Most wild bird feathers cannot be legally possessed without permits. Purchase legally obtained exotic feathers from reputable specialty suppliers or aviaries.

Cleaning and Sterilizing Feathers

Before preservation, feathers should be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized:

1. Wash feathers gently in a mild dish soap and cool water. Rinse well.
2. Disinfect feathers by soaking them for 30 minutes in a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. This kills parasites, bacteria, and fungi.
3. Rinse disinfected feathers well in clean water and allow to fully air dry.

Be extremely careful handling delicate feathers during washing and rinsing. Damaged feathers cannot be repaired.

Preservation Methods

There are several techniques for properly preserving feathers for display:

Air Drying

The simplest preservation method is air drying. This maintains the feather’s natural appearance:

1. Wash and sterilize clean, undamaged feathers.
2. Shape feathers and fully air dry for 1-2 days on blotting paper.
3. Store dried feathers in a display case or loosely in boxes with acid-free tissue.

Avoid compressing or crushing delicate air dried feathers. Handle only by the quill and keep them lying flat.

Hairspray

Lightly spraying feathers with hairspray helps stiffen and hold their shape. This works best for small, rigid feathers:

1. Wash, sterilize, and completely air dry feathers first.
2. Arrange feathers on blotting paper and lightly mist with hairspray.
3. Allow to dry fully before further handling.

Use hairspray extremely sparingly to avoid damaging feathers. Overspraying makes them brittle.

Embedding

For a more secure display, feathers can be embedded vertically in a clear medium:

1. Wash and dry feathers first. Carefully trim away any fluffy barbs.
2. Place feathers in desired arrangement in a mold or container.
3. Gently pour clear casting resin, wax, or gelatin into mold. Allow to fully harden.
4. Remove finished cast and polish edges. Attach to base if desired.

This embedded vertical style highlights feather structure. But it does not display the feather’s natural resting shape.

Laminating

Feathers can also be “laminated” between sheets of thin, clear material:

1. Wash and dry feathers.
2. Arrange feathers on acid-free backing paper.
3. Place thin acetate or acrylic sheet over feathers.
4. Apply small beads of clear casting resin. Allow to dry.
5. Trim laminated sheet to desired size.

Lamination preserves the feather’s natural shape and protects both sides from dust and handling. But it can appear slightly reflective.

Displaying Preserved Feathers

To best exhibit preserved feathers:

• Frame specimens individually or in arrangements under glass or acrylic.
• Place small feathers in clear display boxes on cotton, satin, or velvet fabrics.
• Mount feathers on acid-free mat board or fading-resistant fabric backgrounds.
• Use museum wax or gel to temporarily adhere feathers for handling.
• Secure feathers in cases to walls or stands with velcro, wire, stickem, or special museum mounts.

Avoid direct sunlight, high heat, humidity, and any pests which can damage preserved feathers. Controlled room temperature and lighting works best.

Advanced Feather Preservation

Taxidermists and museums use specialized techniques for long-term feather preservation:

• Fumigating – feathers are exposed to gas chemicals like ethylene oxide to fully sterilize.
• Freeze-drying – feathers are frozen and dried under a vacuum to remove all moisture.
• Pressure/heat mounting – feathers are embedded in thin boards under high heat and pressure.
• Tanning – animal skin proteins are applied to feathers to add flexibility and strength.

However these methods require potentially hazardous chemicals, specialized equipment, and training to properly perform.

Ensuring Ethical Feather Collection

When obtaining feathers, always make sure they are legally collected and ethically sourced:

• Verify feathers come from reputable, regulated sources.
• Avoid feathers from endangered or protected species.
• Refuse feathers from illegal hunting or cruel farming practices.
• Request paperwork proving the feathers’ legal origins.

Unethical feather collection contributes to animal suffering and environmental damage. Make sure your preserved displays promote bird conservation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I preserve feathers I find outside?

No, picking up and keeping wild bird feathers you find is usually illegal without the proper permits. Leave feathers where they lie in nature.

How long do preserved feathers last?

With proper preservation and display methods, feathers can last for decades or longer without deteriorating. Proper care prevents fading, fraying, yellowing, and damage from light and pests.

Do I need any special tools?

A few supplies make feather preservation easier – good tweezers, scalpels, dissecting probes, microscopes, and fume hoods. But most can be done carefully with just household materials.

Can feathers become infested while on display?

Yes, feather-eating pests like carpet and hide beetles can sometimes infest loosely encased feathers. Fumigation and tightly sealed displays help prevent issues.

Do feathers eventually biodegrade?

Feathers are primarily made of keratin proteins. With proper preservation these structures remain intact for very long periods. But inadequate treatment can allow feathers to slowly degrade over time.

Conclusion

Preserving feathers for decorative display takes careful preparation but yields stunning results. Follow these best practices for cleaning, sterilizing, shaping, mounting, and exhibiting your feather collection. Well-preserved feathers retain their natural beauty for many years when properly handled and encased. Just be sure any feathers were ethically sourced.