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The Weekly Bird Word

03/09/26

This week’s Bird Word:
Rectrices

Rectrices are the stiff feathers that make up a bird’s tail. Most birds have 6 pairs of rectrices that are used primarily for precision steering, braking and balance in flight. The word rectrix comes from the Latin word for “helmsman,” the person responsible for steering a ship. Some birds have specialized rectrices, like woodpeckers, who use the tail feathers to brace themselves against trees.

This Pileated Woodpecker uses his long, stiff tail feathers, or rectrices, to brace himself against a tree while tending to his young. Photo: Richard Pick/Audubon Photography Awards

More in local bird and nature news:

Native plant sales are coming: Get ready to put those winter garden plans into action. Plant NoVA Natives has a great list of upcoming spring sales.
Don’t clean up that garden just yet: Although it can be tempting to tidy up your garden on these early warm days, lots of life still depends on your garden debris to weather cold temperatures.
Help rescue Fairfax County Trees: Celebrate the end of winter by joining Fairfax Tree Rescuers PRISM’s Spring Tree Rescuer Extravaganza!
Let’s go birding: NextGen is hosting a bird outing at Neabsco Creek in Prince William County on Saturday - join us!
Sick of winter? Get ready for spring migration! It’s never a bad time to brush up on your bird ID skills. Check out this free Warbler ID class with Bill Young from our online programs page.
Help Stretch Our Parks: Join in ongoing invasive species management at one of these Stretch Our Parks sites: Dominion Hills, Powhatan Springs and Upton Hill Regional Park.
We need your help: Check out our volunteer page for all the different ways you can lend a hand! From pulling invasives to helping with tabling events and counting birds and insects, there’s something for everyone.

See you out there,
The Northern Virginia Bird Alliance Team

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