After ruling out diet, scientists discover the secret behind blue feathers lies inside how the feathers are made. Gavriel Jecan / Corbis For decades, scientists have known how birds with yellow or ...

It simply changes the birds’ coloration. Hill said he and fellow researcher Kevin McGraw, now at Arizona State University, conducted a biochemical analysis of a yellow cardinal feathers ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. GrrlScientist writes about evolution, ecology, behavior and health. Many birds’ plumage colors are somehow derived from the ...

With flashy feathers and fancy moves, birds of paradise are already ... For instance, intense blue — in; then greenish yellow — out. Seahorses and pipefish fluoresce bright red.

For instance, equal ratios of red and yellow molecules should produce orange feathers, Corbo says. Yellow feathers topped with blue nanostructures ... pigments that other birds such as cardinals ...

a white feather may be brighter and slightly more green-yellow". Biofluorescence makes the birds brighter and more eye-catching In the study researchers examined the effect of both blue and UV ...