The spectacular red feathers of certain parrots owe their vibrancy to a rare set of pigments found nowhere else in nature, a new study suggests.
Kevin McGraw of Arizona State University in Tempe and Mary Nogare, a parrot enthusiast in Snoqualmie, Wash., analyzed feathers from 44 species of parrots mainly from pet stores, owners’ homes, and zoos.
The researchers extracted and characterized the pigments.
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