Most birds with bright yellow or red feathers — think goldfinches and cardinals — use pigments called carotenoids to make those colors. "The reason that a bird's egg's yolk is a bright yellow ...

Parrot feathers flaunt an array of colors, with yellow, red and orange hues made possible by pigments called psittacofulvins that are found only in the vibrant birds (SN: 3/15/05).

Birds in the parrot family, like the macaws pictured here, get their vibrant colors from psittacofulvins, which are oxidized by a single enzyme that changes them from red to yellow.

"The rosy-faced lovebird is a familiar parrot that provides an excellent system to study the genes determining the color difference between red and yellow psittacofulvin-containing plumage patches ...

A single enzyme fine-tunes red and yellow pigments in parrots' polychromatic plumage, according to a new study. The findings reveal new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the ...

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.

Biologists reveal the genetic 'switch' behind parrot color diversity Date: November 15, 2024 ... Although other birds also produce yellow and red feathers, parrots evolved unique pigments, ...