Feather in your bonnet

[JohntheBiker]

I'm well aquainted with hackles which are a regimental form often denoting battle honours but I've never seen backcock feathers used in a military context.

So what IS the deal with these blackcock feathers?

There are Canadian highland regiments that, at one time, had this style of ornamentation as part of their headgear (I've seen pictures of pipers in the 48th Highlanders from the 50's/60's wearing a balmoral with blackcock feathers). At some point seems to have been replaced by feather bonnets.