Feather These barbules have minute hooks called barbicels for cross-attachment. Down feathers are fluffy because they lack barbicels, so the barbules float free of each other, allowing the down to trap air and provide excellent thermal insulation. At the base of the feather, the rachis expands to form the hollow tubular "calamus" (or quill) which inserts into a follicle in the skin. The basal part of the calamus is without vanes. This part is embedded within the skin follicle and has an opening at the base (proximal umbilicus) and a small opening on the side (distal umbilicus). Hatchling birds of some
I Am a Bird Now clear to even the most unaware newbies that Antony has an amazing Nina Simone/Brian Ferry ["sic"]/Jimmy Scott vibrato, a multi-octave siren that would sound painfully lovely no matter what he was saying." The album has appeared on several end of year lists. "Mojo" named "I Am a Bird Now" the best album of 2005. "Pitchfork" ranked the album #5 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2005. On the same website, the track "Hope There's Someone" was ranked #28 on their list of the Top 500 Songs of the 2000s and was selected as 2005's best single. The