A hair-like feather with a thin shaft and few barbs, typically hidden beneath contour feathers in birds and used for sensing movement.
From Latin filum (thread) and pluma (feather). Scientific term developed in the 19th century for ornithological classification.
Filoplumes are essentially bird sensory organs—they help birds detect air movements and maintain awareness of their feathers' positions, functioning like the whiskers of flying creatures.
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