Why does a six-year-old blue jay have the same vibrantly colored feathers as he did when he was a youngster? The answer is in the structure of bird feathers, say researchers from the University of Sheffield who believe their findings could have applications for the paint industry.
News Drill Down:
- Discovery News reports that some birds use holes in the structure of the feathers to reflect light, which in turn creates the perceived color. “the size of the holes determines how the light is scattered and therefore the color that is reflected. Larger holes mean a broader wavelength reflectance of light, creating the color white. A more compact structure results in the color blue.”
- According to The Daily Mail, since the structure of a bird’s feathers never changes, the birds never go gray, as do other animals that rely on pigments for hair color.
- An article on the University of Sheffield website points out that studying this structural coloring ability has applications for the clothing and coatings industries. One coatings manufacturer, Akzo Nobel, has already taken note. “This exciting new insight may help us to find new ways of making paints that stay brighter and fresher-looking for longer, while also having a lower carbon footprint,” says Dr Daragh McLoughlin of the AkzoNobel Decorative Paints Material Science Research Team.
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Reading List:
- Discovery News: Some Birds Tune Color, Never Fade With Age
- The Daily Mail: Why birds NEVER go grey: ‘Spongy structures’ in feathers that stop their colour fading could inspire new paints and clothing
- The University Of Sheffield: Nature’s unique way of controlling colour explains why birds never go grey
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