Scientists find why birds do not go grey with ageing

Scientists have discovered the secret behind the vivid colors of the feathers of birds that do not seem to grey with ageing.

Researchers from UK’s Sheffield University have found that the blue-and-white feathers of the jay are the result of changes made by the birds to their nanostructure. Through controlled changes to the nanostructure, jays create vividly coloured feathers which they possibly use to recognise one another, reports the Irish Examiner.

The scientists used X-ray scattering at the ESRF facility in France to examine the jays’ feathers. They found that birds demonstrate an astonishing level of control and sophistication in producing colours. The researchers believe that the scientific understanding of the process used by the birds could pave the way for creation of paints and clothing colours that will not fade over time.

The study shows that birds don’t use dyes and pigments that would fade over time; rather they use well-controlled changes to the nanostructure to create their vividly coloured feathers.

Further analysis revealed that the jay’s feather, which turns from ultraviolet to blue and then to white, is made of a nanostructured spongy keratin material. This is the exactly the same kind of material that human hair and fingernails are made from.

What is remarkable about the jay is its ability to demonstrate control over the size of the holes in this sponge-like structure and fix them at very particular sizes. This in turn determines the colour that is seen reflected from the feather, according to the research findings, published in Nature Scientific Reports.

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