An international group of scientists has discovered that the feather structure makes it impossible for birds to go grey. This could allow them to create clothing and paint colors that will never fade. The nanostructure of bird feathers is made up holes with different sizes. Bird feathers don’t use any dyes or pigments. They create their unique colours using only natural ingredients. Nanostructures are structures that range in size between microscopic and molecular. super-super-tiny. The latest research was published in Nature Scientific Reports by Dr. Andrew Parnell, from University of Sheffield’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. He and his colleagues at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (France), the Institut Laue-Langevin (France), the Natural History Museum of London and the Diamond Light Source, which is the UK’s national synchrotron scientific facility. The colourful mandarin duck (Aix galericulata). As with all birds their colours never fade, so does the drake (male). Image: Wikipedia. The discovery of synthetic structural colors that do not fade could allow for the creation of new colours. They could also be used to colour clothing or make paints. It could also be cheap. Garrulus glandarius, a jay that can change the colour of its feathers using a tuneable nanostructure, is an example. To study the blue- and white feathers, the scientists employed Xray scattering from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France. Amazingly, birds can control the colours of their feathers. The scientists discovered this amazing feat of control and sophistication by bird researchers. The birds don’t use pigments or dyes that fade. They use nanostructures that are controlled to produce a variety of feather colours. Scientists believe this is because they recognize each other as jays do. A jay’s ability to pattern many colours on a single feather barb (branch), is similar to having multiple colours in a single hair strand. Flaring his feathers, a Peafowl (Indian peacock). A colourful plumage can attract mates to many birds species. (Image from Wikipedia) A sponge-like material called keratin is used to make the jay’s feather. It is similar in material as our hair and nails. The colour of feathers is determined by the number and size of nanopores. According to authors, jays have the ability to control the size of tiny holes in the spongey structure. They can adjust these holes to match the specific dimensions. After hitting feathers, light scatters. The size of the hole and the colour reflected will determine how light scatters. Larger holes with a wider wavelength reflectance are required to see white. For the color blue you will need a smaller structure. Birds would soon lose their colour if they used dyes or pigments to color their feathers. Female and male Superb Fairy Wrens (Malurus Cyaneus). Charles Darwin (1809-1882), an English geologist and naturalist believed colour differences in birds were due to the preference of females for brighter colours than males. This view is supported by most scientists. Perhaps, however, dull-coloured female birds are more likely to be seen by predators while incubating eggs. Individuals may be able to recognize their species by colour. (Image from http://onarki.no). Birds are blessed with permanent colouring systems that use structural changes. This is why birds do not become greyer as they age, as opposed to mammals like dogs and humans with hair. Gray hair is caused by a decrease in the pigment content of their hair with age. Dr. Parnell stated that while conventional wisdom suggested that light control using these materials would require precise and controlled structures, with multiple processing steps, however, if nature is able to assemble such material “on the wings”, then it should also be possible to synthesize. A Garrulus glandarius (Eurasian Jay). Its feathers were closely studied in this study. Jays are known for their love of acorns. You may find them digging up acorns in autumn to be retrieved later in winter. Image: RSPB. “This finding means that we can create synthetic long-lasting colored coatings and materials. It is how it forms and controls the nanostructure that decides the colour it reflects. We did this by changing the density and size of the holes within the sponge-like structure. We now have the ability to create new fabrics, such as paints or clothes using nanostructuring techniques. This could mean that, for example, if you create a red jumper with this technique, it will retain its colour, and not fade in washing.” Daragh McLoughlin is a member the AkzoNobel Material Science Research team. She said that AkzoNobel paints are made from sustainable materials and that they encourage the development of eco-premium products. The exciting insight we have may allow us to discover new ways to make paints that last longer and are brighter, fresher, and less carbon-intensive. We used feathers taken from the Natural History Museum’s extensive collection. According to Dr. Adam Washington at the University of Sheffield the findings of this study answer some of our long-standing questions about colours. It is difficult to make the color green by manipulating these tuneable spongy structure. A. Fairclough and Christopher J. Hill. Mary Snape. Antonino Bianco. Richard A. L. Jones. Stephanie L. Burg. Ashley J. Cadby. Sylvain Prost. Nature Scientific Reports 5, Article Number: 18317. December, 21, 2015. DOI: doi: 10.1038/srep18317. Video – Color: The Birds-of-Paradise are able to display almost every color of the rainbow in their feathers. Males can choose from a variety of vibrant colours in order to attract their mate. Females, however, have a more neutral plumage that serves primarily for camouflage. Ed Scholes from Cornell Lab talks about these amazing birds.
The process of making clothing or paint colours that don’t fade in birds is called “birds never go gray”.
