Bird topography
Nape
The back of the neck.
Bird topography
Related terms
Full glossary
Culmen
The upper ridge of the bill from its tip to where the feathers begin.
Speculum
A bright, often iridescent patch on the secondaries of many ducks.
Primaries
The outermost flight feathers of the wing, attached to the "hand"; they provide most of the forward thrust.
Primary projection
How far the primary tips extend beyond the tertials on a perched bird.
Coverts
Small feathers that overlap the bases of the flight and tail feathers, on both upper and under surfaces.
Scapulars
Feathers on the "shoulder" that cover the join between wing and body on a perched bird.