Imping Bird Feathers. Imping is short for implanting feathers. Imping allows damaged feathers to be snipped and replaced with similar ones from a previous molt or from a donor bird.
The solution was the old falconry technique of imping a contracted term for implanting. I joined a group learning about feather imping. These have to be secured so the feather lines up correctly and wont rotate.
In many cases in which feather damage is diagnosed imping of the damaged feathers is an easy technique one may use to restore the flight capability of the bird thereby decreasing the time needed for rehabilitation.
In collections this is useful to ensure birds look healthy and can take part in displays as damaged feathers may cause flight and steering problems. Bird feathers are finely tuned instruments crucial for avian aerodynamics. Using corresponding feathers from an injured bird of the same species that did not survive attempts at rehabilitation the damaged feathers with good shafts still in the wing were cut and replaced with new feathers that were spliced and super-glued to the healthy shafts. Her right wing had lost all its major flight and soaring feathers and her left had lost 3 of the major wing-tip feathers and one major from the middle of the wing.