Nature's Palette in flight
Where does the flamingo's famous pink come from?
What makes a peacock feather so dazzling?
Bird feathers typically appear coloured either due to the presence of pigments or due to structural colouration. Pigments can be melanin (blacks, browns, dull reds and yellows), carotenoids (reds, pinks, oranges, yellows), and sometimes porphyrins, pterins, or psittacofulvins (pinks, browns, reds, and greens). Structural colouration refers to microscopic structures within the feather that reflect and scatter white light to produce blues, greens, and other iridescent colours. Bird feathers may also use a combination of pigments and feather structure to create iridescent and vibrant hues that change with the angle of light falling on them.
