Doing the "Imp"ossible: The Science and Art of Feather Implantation

The idiom “to clip someone’s wings'' in the English language refers to metaphorically restricting someone’s freedom. But when it comes to the world of urban wildlife, metaphors can turn quite literal. Hundreds of birds a month suffer from brutal wing injuries. Electric cables, network towers, paper kites tethered to Chinese Manja thread, and collapse due to dehydration are just a few of the myriad dangers they face every day. When a bird has a wing injury and loses feathers in the process, it can take around six to nine whole months for them to grow back naturally. A bird that is biologically capable of flying cannot survive being flightless for too long. Being flightless, you’re an easy target for the likes of cats, snakes and even other birds. Assuming thirst and starvation don’t get you first. It’s essentially a death sentence.

But as it turns out, to ensure a bright future for our feathered friends, we had to but look at the past. An ancient practice used in falconry over ten centuries ago, now perfected by modern veterinary science. It enables the veterinarians to forge wings for the unfeathered, as Daedalus did for Icarus. And the vets don’t even have to worry about the birds flying too close to the sun.

In this piece, we are introducing you to the art of feather implantation, popularly known as “Imping”.

Imping is a process of treating birds that have broken or lost their feathers by implanting donor feathers taken from a different bird of the same species that has moulted (shed its feathers.)

This technique brings down the time of recovery from two months to two days. It is one of the most effective methods to treat birds with lost or broken feathers.

Before we explain the process to you, a disclaimer feels necessary. This is not a guide to perform feather implants. It’s written for educational purposes and awareness. Imping is an extremely delicate process. Do NOT try this yourself at home. The veterinarians at PfA are highly qualified and highly trained professionals who perform imping with incredible care and delicacy. Having badly aligned feathers for a bird is worse than having no feathers at all.

The process of imping begins way before the bird is even on the operating table. Knowing how to identify the right feathers for the right bird is just as important as the process of implanting them. The donor feather should be of the same species, size and shape as the one being imped. Only after all the right feathers are found, the bird is put on the operating table.

Figure 1: Donor feathers needed for the procedure are carefully sanitised, arranged and labelled before the procedure begins

The physical process of imping starts off by delicately trimming off the existing feathers and shortening it down until it’s just a stub. Then, a donor feather is chosen and trimmed to length to match the stub.

Following this, a thin piece of wire, dowel or feather stalk (based on the type of feather being imped) is inserted into both the shafts of the broken and the doner feather. This is called an “imping needle”. Finally, both feathers are glued together with a strong adhesive, like epoxy.

Figure 2: Both the broken and donor feathers are trimmed until their stubs are the same length

As mentioned earlier, even if a single feather is a little too big or small, even if a single feather alignment is off by a millimetre, the bird will not be able to fly properly. Improper imping can also lead to intense pain and inflammation around the shaft base. Thus, it’s imperative that every single step is carried out with extreme caution and precision.

Figure 3: Attaching the trimmed-down donor feather with the stub of the broken feather using an imping needle

Figure 4: All glued up and ready to go!

If done right, imping is one of the safest surgical procedures in the world with a very high survival rate. The recovery period is almost negligible compared to the time it takes for feathers to grow back naturally.

At the same time, imping is not a one-stop solution. The procedure is only possible if the feathers are only partially broken. If the feathers have fallen off, imping is impossible. It’s a lengthy and time-consuming procedure that can increase stress levels in certain birds.

Figure 5: Our Chief Veterinarian Col Dr Navaz Sharif holding a Black Kite
after a successful imping procedure

Regardless, the fact that imping is even possible is incredible. A tradition older than a thousand years, mastered and perfected a millennia later where people have the ability to reconstruct the wings of injured birds and give them a second chance at life

How Can I Help?

I hear you ask. As we now know, feather implantations require, well…..feathers. More the merrier. 

We have a feather bank on site at PFA Wildlife Rescue & Conservation Centre. If you come across bird feathers on your way to school/college/work, while you’re travelling or just taking a stroll down the street, pick them up and send them to us. Please ONLY pick up feathers that you find fallen on the ground. Do not attempt to take it from a living creature.

You can mail it to us, send it via bike courier, call our rescue ambulance or even come by the centre and hand it to us in person. Every feather you drop off can make a difference. You don’t need to be a wildlife expert or a veterinarian to protect animals. You just need to care.

(Written by Vipin Nagarabavi)