A Simple Chemical Shift Explains Why Parrots Are So Colorful, Study Suggests

Unlike other birds, which get pigments from their diets, parrots produce their own—but scientists never fully understood the underlying mechanisms, until now

Sarah Kuta
Daily Correspondent
November 1, 2024



The researchers studied the dusky lory (pictured) and the rosy-faced lovebird. Tim Felce (Airwolfhound) via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 2.0

Flamingos get their signature pink hue by eating shrimp, while boobies’ feet turn bright blue because of their fishy diets.

But how do parrots get their vivid red, yellow and green feathers? This query has long perplexed scientists, but, now, they say they’re one step closer to solving the mystery.

A simple chemical tweak governed by a single enzyme determines the color of a parrot’s plumage, researchers report this week in a new paper published in the journal Science. Their findings not only help answer a long-standing question about parrots, but they could also offer broader insights into evolution and color variation throughout the animal kingdom.

“It is a huge step forward in avian color genetics,” says Rosalyn Price-Waldman, an evolutionary biologist finishing her PhD at Princeton University who was not involved with the research, to NPR’s Ari Daniel.

More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-simple-chemical-shift-explains-why-parrots-are-so-colorful-study-suggests-180985380/