YOU CAN'T JUDGE A PIGMENT BY ITS COLOR: CAROTENOID AND MELANIN CONTENT OF YELLOW AND BROWN FEATHERS IN SWALLOWS, BLUEBIRDS, PENGUINS, AND DOMESTIC CHICKENS

Abstract

The two main pigment types in bird feathers are the red, orange, and yellow carotenoids and the black, gray, and brown melanins. Reports conflict, however, regarding the potential for melanins to produce yellow colors or for carotenoids to produce brown plumages. We used high-performance liquid chromatography to analyze carotenoids and melanins present in the yellow and brown feathers of five avian species: Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis), Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus), and neonatal chickens (Gallus domesticus).