Ed Hubbs has a little tutorial (video quality isn't all that great, but you can get the gist of it...give it a whirl and you'll see how easy it is)>
Awesome Airbrushing! - YouTube
I used this technique on a project not too long ago and was happy with the results. For what you're trying to do, i think this would work for the more "fluffy" feathers, and dagger strokes for the main/top feathers.
Hope this helps.