Terry,

I honestly don't have a clue about the feathers-- all I can say for sure is that they came (probably) from a rather large bird!

What I can tell you is that they are a bloody nuisance to wear! I'm a bit over six foot tall, and the feathers add almost a foot-- I am constantly bowing and dipping to keep the feathers from hitting things. I normally wear either a simple clansman's cap badge or my own badge with two silver feathers behind it. Not as dramatic, but infinitely more practical.