Feathers containing melanin are stronger, Shultz said, which is why birds often have dark wing feathers to aid them in flight. Do colors change? Even within the same species, color can vary by age ...

The natural marvels, which do everything from enabling acrobatic flight to insulating against Antarctic cold, continue to ...

Birds undergo molting, the process of shedding old feathers and growing new ones, which can result in color transformations. Most birds experience an annual molt, typically after the breeding ...

Feathers containing melanin are stronger, Shultz said, which is why birds often have dark wing feathers to aid them in flight. Do colors change? Even within the same species, color can vary by age ...

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. The ruby-throated hummingbird has to be one of the most eagerly awaited ...

So, it makes a lot of sense for birds to change color in response. In the study, researchers drew information from over 1200 bird species, showing how urbanization changes feather colors.

The feathers of birds like blue jays and indigo buntings have contain tiny, randomly-arranged structures that scatter light. Certain wavelengths dominate the scattering to create the color that we ...

Birds—and their eggs—come in a dazzling array of colors. One artist's early efforts to describe the diversity of bird life in the United States ultimately gave rise to the Pantone Color ...

Most birds with bright yellow or red feathers — think goldfinches and cardinals — use pigments called carotenoids to make those colors. "The reason that a bird's egg's yolk is a bright yellow ...

Azure, cyan and chartreuse green — these feather colors dazzle birdwatchers and motivate conservationists to protect songbirds. But those hues also make other people want to own them.