Birds are a class of vertebrates with feathers, wings, and beaks, and they are one of the most diverse and widely distributed fauna on the planet. Bird feathers are one of their great characteristics, they are not only able to help the bird fly, keep warm, waterproof, but also able to show off the beauty and personality of the bird. Bird feathers come in a variety of colors and shapes, but how are these colors and shapes formed?What is their role and significance?
The color of a bird's feathers is mainly determined by two factors, one is the pigment in the feathers and the other is the structure of the feathers. Pigments are substances that absorb and reflect light, and they can dye feathers in different colors. There are three main pigments in the feathers of birds, which are melanin, carotene, and tyrosine. Melanin is a pigment capable of producing black, gray, brown and parts of blue and green, which is synthesized by the birds themselves. Carotene is a pigment capable of producing red, orange, yellow and partially green, which is obtained from food by birds. Tyrosine is a pigment capable of producing red, purple and blue, which are converted by birds in their feathers. These three pigments can be present in the feathers individually or in a mixture to create different color effects.
The structure of feathers refers to the shape and arrangement of the feathers, and they can also affect the color of the feathers. The structure of the feather can produce a phenomenon called structural color, that is, when light hits the feather, it will be reflected, refracted, interfered with and scattered by the feather's microstructure, thus forming different colors. The structural color is usually an iridescent color, such as the tail of a peacock, the throat of a hummingbird, the wings of a peacock bream, etc. Structural colors can be superimposed with pigment colors to create more complex and brilliant color effects.
The shape of a bird's feathers is mainly determined by the type and function of the feathers, and in general, bird feathers can be divided into four types, which are overfeathers, flying feathers, down feathers, and silk feathers. Covered feathers refer to the feathers that cover the surface of the bird's body, their shape is relatively flat, dense and smooth, their role is to protect the bird's **, prevent the loss of water and heat, and are also the main decoration of the bird.
Flight feathers refer to the feathers located on the wings and tail of birds, their shape is relatively long, hard, curved, their role is to support the flight of birds, provide lift and thrust, and are also the main balancers of birds. Down feathers refer to the feathers located inside the body of birds, their shape is relatively short, thin and fluffy, their role is to keep the body of the bird warm, isolate from the cold outside, and are also the main reserve of the bird. Silk feathers refer to the feathers located on the head, neck and tail of birds, their shape is relatively thin, soft, curved, their role is to clean the feathers of birds, lubricate the feathers of birds, and also the main sensory organs of birds.
The color and shape of a bird's feathers are an important adaptive trait of birds, and they can help birds survive and thrive in different environments. The color and shape of a bird's feathers can be used for the following functions:
Camouflage: The color and shape of the bird's feathers can match the surrounding environment, so that the bird can hide itself from the detection of ** eaters, such as forest thrushes, partridges, owls, etc.
Signal: The color and shape of a bird's feathers can communicate with other birds, such as gender, breed, health status, emotional state, range, courtship intentions, etc., such as red-billed blue magpies, peacocks, kestrels, etc.
Warning: The color and shape of a bird's feathers can be a threat to predators, indicating that they are poisonous, thorny, powerful, and not to be messed with, such as macaws, bee-eaters, nautilus, etc.
Attraction: The color and shape of the bird's feathers can be sent to the opposite sex**, indicating that they are attractive, resourceful, capable, and advantageous, such as yellow-billed egrets, red-billed black storks, flamingos, etc.
Bird feathers are a wonderful biological structure, they are not only beautiful, but also useful, they are a symbol of life for birds, they are an artistic representation of birds.