The Colors of Feathers

Birds can have feathers of many different colors, and even have more than one color on each feather. Feather colors may come from tiny pigment particles that form in the feather as it grows, or from the way the structure of the feather bends and refracts light.

Pigment colors:

There are many different pigments found in feathers, including melanin and carotene, which are also pigments found in human skin. 

Melanin pigments are manufactured by the bird’s body. These can give feathers brown, black or grey colors, or produce lighter yellowish to reddish tones. Melanin also makes feathers stronger and more resistant to damage and wear!

Carotenoid pigments come from the bird’s food, like shrimp or other shellfish. These pigments can produce red, bright yellow and orange colors, but can also mix with melanin pigments to produce olive green or other secondary colors. 

Porphyrin pigments produce a range of colors, including pink, browns, bright reds, and bright greens. All porphyrins fluoresce under ultraviolet light, appearing bright red. Birds, unlike mammals, can see into the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum, meaning that porphyrin-containing feathers appear much more vivid to them than they do to us!

Structural Colors:

Feathers can also have structural colors, which are not produced by pigments, but instead are produced by the effects of light interacting with the microscopic structure of the feather itself. Iridescent blue and green colors are created by the microscopic structure of the feather which splits the light into many colors, like a prism.

Feathers with structural colors will appear colorless when light shines through them - try putting feathers on a clear surface and shine a flashlight through them.