What does plumage mean?
Word: Plumage
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Plumage means the feathers on a bird, thought of together, including their colours and patterns.
How do you spell plumage?
Syllables: plu - mage
Tricky part: The ending sounds like ij, but it is spelt -age, as in village and message.
Watch out for: plumige, plumadge
Memory tip: Say 'plu-MAGE', rhyming with page, in your head as you write, then say it properly out loud.
Plumage in a sentence
Example 1: The kingfisher's bright blue plumage flashed as it dived into the pond.
Example 2: In winter, some birds grow thicker plumage to keep warm.
Example 3: Many male birds have showier plumage than the females.
Fun Fact
Flamingos get their pink plumage from the tiny shrimps and algae they eat; without that food their feathers slowly fade.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
pl__mage
a) u
b) ou
c) ew
d) oo
Show answer
a) u. Just one letter, u, sits after the pl, even though the sound is long.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
mugelap 1234567
a) 7512634
b) 5721634
c) 7521634
d) 7251634
Show answer
c) 7521634. Taking the letters in the order 7, 5, 2, 1, 6, 3, 4 spells plumage.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. plumage 2. migration 3. fledgling a. the yearly long-distance movement of birds to another region b. the colourful outer covering that makes a peacock look so grand c. a young bird that has just learnt to fly
a) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
b) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
Show answer
b) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c. Migration is the long yearly flight, a fledgling has only just learnt to fly, and plumage is the peacock's grand covering.
Sound Check
In which word is 'g' pronounced differently?
a) giraffe
b) cottage
c) plumage
d) garden
Show answer
d) garden. Garden starts with a hard g, as in goat; the other three have a soft g like j.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. How might a bird's dull brown plumage help it?
a) It helps the bird sing louder
b) It makes the bird fly faster
c) It is hard to spot among dry leaves
d) It keeps the bird's eggs warmer
Show answer
c) It is hard to spot among dry leaves
2. Why does a peacock spread his plumage in front of a peahen?
a) to try to impress her
b) to shelter from the rain
c) to cool himself down
d) to get ready to sleep
Show answer
a) to try to impress her
