Provided in multiple languages, Featherbase has a search engine and two topical lists to browse data – an alphabetical collection and a systemic order collection. Full color photos, Latin, German and English names are included as well as multiple photos of each bird, respective feathers, a description of each bird, distribution of location/cities where the bird may be found, and conservation status if available. There are currently 1717 species, 5821 exhibits, 14,779 photos, and 75746 measurements in this database.

“Since the 20th century, scientific ornithology has been closely linked to the conservation of birds. The study of feathers is a factor that is often overlooked. In museums, the majority of their bird skin collections are archived, stored away in drawers under lock and key and only ever seen by a very selective audience and not the general public….Featherbase is a working group of German feather scientists and other collectors worldwide who came together with their personal collections and created the biggest and most comprehensive online feather library in the world. Using our website, it is possible to identify feathers from hundreds of different species, compare similarities between them, work out gender or age-specific characteristics and look at the statistics of countless feather measurements. In contrast to the conventional work of museums, Featherbase is much more oriented towards the general public, allowing not just enrolled scientists the opportunity to gain access to the collection, but anyone with an interest in studying birds and their feathers. Featherbase also frequently collaborates with scientific or educational organizations by offering images, data or teamwork in general. Featherbase works completely independently, without administrative affiliation, and first and foremost without commercial interests…”