That round object in the picture is actually a bird’s feather follicle mass, often called a feather ball. Here’s what’s going on: • Birds naturally lose and regrow feathers. Sometimes, instead of falling away, feathers can get caught under the skin or become ingrown, causing a clump-like mass to form. • What you’re holding looks like a compacted cluster of feathers that either sloughed off naturally or was pushed out of a bird’s body (sometimes after death or predation). • It’s not an egg, seed, or fungus—though at first glance it really looks like one. The smooth, glossy outer surface is actually feather shafts tightly packed together. In short: it’s a natural clump of bird feathers, likely shed or expelled, that compacted into a ball shape.

My husband and I heard a big crash at 5am, like something had fallen off the roof. He found this feather mass on the ground just now. Said it feels like it has a membrane inside of it? This is in our side yard, about 4 feet of gravel between a fence and the side of the house.

That round object in the picture is actually a bird’s feather follicle mass, often called a feather ball. Here’s what’s going on:

• Birds naturally lose and regrow feathers. Sometimes, instead of falling away, feathers can get caught under the skin or become ingrown, causing a clump-like mass to form.

• What you’re holding looks like a compacted cluster of feathers that either sloughed off naturally or was pushed out of a bird’s body (sometimes after death or predation).

• It’s not an egg, seed, or fungus—though at first glance it really looks like one.

The …
Continue reading on the next page >>>