Crest (feathers) Crest (feathers) The crest is a prominent feature exhibited by several bird and other dinosaur species on their heads. The crest is made up of semiplume feathers: a long rachis with barbs on either side. These are plumulaceous feathers, meaning that they are soft and bendable. In birds, these semiplumes are common along the head, neck, and upper back, and may be used for buoyancy and sensing vibrations. Crests on birds are generally used for display purposes. Cockatoos and their smaller cousins, cockatiels, are part of the parrot family Cacatuidae found in Australia, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Philippines, and
Calamus, Iowa Calamus, Iowa Calamus is a small town in Clinton County, Iowa, United States located on the historical Lincoln Highway, which was the first transcontinental highway for automobiles across the U.S.. Calamus is the only town in Olive Township and had a population of 439 at the 2010 census, which was an 11.4% increase from the 2000 census. Calamus was named after Calamus creek, which received its name from the great quantities of sweet flag growing in it, derived from the botanical name "Acorus calamus", commonly called Sweet Flag or Calamus. In July 1858 the first railroad was built west from