Pigeons: dark feathers reveal secret to healthy birds Skip to main content

Pigeons: dark feathers reveal secret to healthy birds

By Emma Brennand
Nature reporter, BBC Earth News

Rock pigeon
Dark birds attract the opposite sex

Darker coloured pigeons are healthier, researchers in France have discovered.
A study of urban pigeons in central Paris has shown that birds with higher levels of the dark pigment melanin have stronger immune systems.
They are also better able to fend off parasites.
Writing in the Journal of Avian Biology, the researchers say the findings may help explain why different coloured birds have adapted to different environments.
Lisa Jacquin, and her colleagues from the National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris, carried out the research in conjunction with Dr Simon Ducatez from the Natural History Museum in Brunoy.
The researchers explored why birds of the same species are often coloured differently.
PIGEON FACTS
Feral pigeons are descendents of the Rock Dove
Pigeons are excellent navigators using the sun as a compass and local landmarks and even scents to find their way
Feral pigeons are found in 30%, 17% and 9% of Scottish, English and Welsh gardens respectively

More pigeon facts, pictures and video from BBC Wildlife Finder
By assessing the colouration and state of health of 195 free-living urban pigeons, they found that darker pigeons had lower concentrations of a blood parasite called haemosporidian. Their immune systems also responded faster to infection, compared to their pale-feathered cousins.
Currently there are two theories about why animals of the same species can be coloured differently.
First, it may be that their environment is causing the colour difference, a theory called the "exposure" hypothesis.
An alternative theory is that birds have evolved genes which code differently for melanin expression, a theory called the "genetic link" hypothesis.
"We tried to disentangle the 'genetic link' and the 'exposure' hypothesis in free-living feral pigeons Columba livia," Ms Jacquin reported.
Her team's research suggests that the birds may have evolved to produce higher levels of melanin in order to protect their immune systems.
This could also explain why there are higher populations of dark feathered birds in urban areas, where parasite prevalence is higher.
"The finding that immune responsiveness and parasite intensity correlates with colouration suggests that melanin-based colouration could play a role in sexual selection," explains Ms Jacquin.
So darker birds may be healthier and also appear more attractive to the opposite sex.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9442000/9442210.stm
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thai penis whitening trend raises eyebrows

Image copyright LELUXHOSPITAL Image caption Authorities warn the procedure could be quite painful A supposed trend of penis whitening has captivated Thailand in recent days and left it asking if the country's beauty industry is taking things too far. Skin whitening is nothing new in many Asian countries, where darker skin is often associated with outdoor labour, therefore, being poorer. But even so, when a clip of a clinic's latest intriguing procedure was posted online, it quickly went viral. Thailand's health ministry has since issued a warning over the procedure. The BBC Thai service spoke to one patient who had undergone the treatment, who told them: "I wanted to feel more confident in my swimming briefs". The 30-year-old said his first session of several was two months ago, and he had since seen a definite change in the shade. 'What for?' The original Facebook post from the clinic offering the treatment, which uses lasers to break do...
1 comment
Read more

Ancient Rakhine City of Mrauk-U Proposed for UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Irrawaddy YANGON—Myanmar’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture submitted the final draft of its nomination for Mrauk-U to become a World Heritage Site to UNESCO on Monday, four months after the ministry submitted the first draft of its nomination in September 2019. If the application succeeds, Mrauk-U will be the third place in Myanmar to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after the ancient cities of Bagan and Pyu. Mrauk-U is located in northern Rakhine State, around 60 km from the state capital of Sittwe. The ancient city was the seat of Arakanese kings from the 1400s until the late 1700s. At the height of their power, they controlled an area covering large parts of eastern Bengal, modern-day Rakhine State and the western part of central Myanmar. Much of the city’s remains are well-preserved and some 380 historic temples are scattered between the lush hills of northern Rakhine. Mrauk-U Heritage Trust chairwoman Daw Khin Than told The Irrawaddy on Tue...
1 comment
Read more

Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera

The Life Story of A Distinguished And Outstanding Bhikkhu The Most Venerable Saradawpharagree Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera The Buddhist missionary Saradaw Ashin U Chandramani was endowed with great gifts and led a famous and long life. He was a very well known, distinguished and outstanding Bhikkhu Mahathera. While living in the Kushinagar Monastery, a place close to where the Lord Buddha had passed away to Nirvana, the Government of India had offered, and he had accepted, the highest, most honourable and respected title "Guru Guru MahaGuru". He became the first ever President of all Buddhists in India.A World Buddhist Conference took place in Kathmandu during the reign of King Mahindra of Nepal. The Conference was very well attended by over one hundred thousand Buddhists from various parts of the world and it was opened by King Mahindra himself. As requested by the King, Saradawpharagree blessed all the participants with the power of Triple Gems...
Post a Comment
Read more