Directive Coloration of Birds

Genetic Basis for Red Coloration in Birds

The yellow and red feather pigmentation of many bird species [1] plays pivotal roles in social signaling and mate choice [2, 3]. To produce red pigments, birds ingest yellow carotenoids and endogenously convert them into red ketocarotenoids via an oxidation reaction catalyzed by a previously unknown ketolase [4-6]. We investigated the genetic basis for red coloration in birds using whole-genome...

LIFE for birds - 25 years from the Birds Directive: the contribution of LIFE-Nature projects

Deleterious effects of light exposure on immunity and sexual coloration in birds

1. Sunlight ultraviolet (UV) exposure can be highly damaging to biological tissues, being known to cause cellular damage and immunosuppression in humans and rodents, and depletion of carotenoid-based sexual plumage coloration in birds (i.e. photobleaching). However, it remains unknown whether sunlight may cause photobleaching in living tissues that comprise sexual signals such as bare parts in ...

Interspecific variation in the use of carotenoid-based coloration in birds: diet, life history and phylogeny.

Birds show striking interspecific variation in their use of carotenoid-based coloration. Theory predicts that the use of carotenoids for coloration is closely associated with the availability of carotenoids in the diet but, although this prediction has been supported in single-species studies and those using small numbers of closely related species, there have been no broad-scale quantitative t...

High-density lipoprotein receptor SCARB1 is required for carotenoid coloration in birds.

Yellow, orange, and red coloration is a fundamental aspect of avian diversity and serves as an important signal in mate choice and aggressive interactions. This coloration is often produced through the deposition of diet-derived carotenoid pigments, yet the mechanisms of carotenoid uptake and transport are not well-understood. The white recessive breed of the common canary (Serinus canaria), wh...