Feathers define birds. Other critters, like insects, fly; but no other critter wears feathers. And what amazing structures they are, these feathers. They allow birds to fly, perform mating displays, ...

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The researchers found an evolutionary tweak in feather nanostructure that has more than doubled the range of iridescent colors birds can display. This insight could help researchers understand how and ...

Many birds’ feathers are remarkably efficient at shedding water — so much so that “like water off a duck’s back” is a common expression. Much more unusual are the belly feathers of the sandgrouse, ...

Emperor penguins eat, sleep and breed in one of the harshest environments in the world -- icy Antarctica, in temperatures that can dip below -40 in the winter. It would be easy to assume that they ...

Beautiful bird plumage these days matches the color pallet of wildflowers — cardinals as red as Indian paintbrushes, andbluebirds as blue as bluebonnets. It’s not happenstance. Wildflowers attract ...

What is heavier: 1 kilogram of feathers or 1 kilogram of steel? Whilst the answer to this classic riddle is that they both weigh the same amount, it may be surprising to discover that the color of a ...

Winter in the mid-Hudson Valley has become quite variable in more recent years. Cold temperatures, occasional snow, infrequent freezing rain, and no guarantee of open water or food are the conditions ...

Female tanager birds dig flamboyant males. So to build plumage that really pops with orange or red or yellow, a male has to eat fruits and absorb their carotenoids. The fancy feathers he produces then ...