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Remiges

Remiges (singular remex) are a bird's flight feathers which are attached to the rear portion of the wing bones. Remiges are given different names depending on their position on the wing:

  • primaries which are connected to the hand bones. Usually eleven in number although there are exceptions such as the ostrich, which has 16 primaries;
  • secondaries which connect to the inner lower arm bone (ulna) and vary in number from only six in hummingbirds up to thirty-two in some species of albatross;
  • tertiaries — connected to the upper arm bone (humerus), these rarely exist in the strict sense.

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