Exposure to sulfur-rich volcanic soil may increase production of pheomelanin, a pigment that gives a reddish tint to the feathers of barn owls living on remote volcanic islands Barn owls (Tyto alba) ...

What color were dinosaurs? Well, at least one of them had a head-to-tail feathered mohawk in a subdued palette of chestnut and white stripes. That is what a team of Chinese and British scientists ...

The discovery of microscopic color-making structures in fossilized feathers has recently made it possible for scientists to picture dinosaurs and ancient birds in their natural hues. But a group of ...

Inspired by the way iridescent bird feathers play with light, scientists have created thin films of material in a wide range of pure colors -- from red to green -- with hues determined by physical ...

Structural color, which is the foundation that makes things like a peacock's tail feathers appear iridescent, has been an area of study for scientists as they try to adapt it for use in everyday ...

New study shows that bird feathers do more than look pretty. They help birds manage heat and stay cool in surprising ways.