Remiges

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 ulna and vary in number from only six in hummingbirds up to thirty-two in some species of albatross
• tertiaries - connected to the humerus, these rarely exist in the strict sense.

see also rectrices