Definition: The term "pinfeather" describes the newly grown feathers found on a bird that is going through a molt. A pinfeather is usually short and closer to the skin, and is covered in the same type of keratinous material that makes up the shafts of feathers. This covering must be removed in order for the new feather to grow properly.

While birds remove most of their pinfeathers during preening, there are always a few (most notably on the top of the head) that they can't quite reach.


In the wild, other members of the flock would help with the pinfeathers during natural grooming behaviors -- but in captivity, bird owners must remove the shafts from the pinfeathers by gently rolling them between a thumb and forefinger.