FEELING a little dull? Follow the lead of flamingos, which apply make-up to brighten their feathers. This touch-up allows the healthiest birds to continue looking their best, and so helps them signal their status as high-quality mates.
The bright pink colour of flamingos comes from pigments called carotenoids, which the birds acquire from their diet. Only healthy birds can gather enough carotenoids through their food to make bright feathers, but carotenoids fade quickly in sunlight, so feathers bleach over time.
To combat this, the flamingos turn to cosmetics. Juan Amat of the Doñana Biological Station in Seville, Spain, and colleagues found that greater flamingos, Phoenicopterus roseus, secrete the same carotenoid pigments via a gland near their tail.
When they preen, the flamingos spread the pigment over their feathers, brightening their colour. The team found this behaviour ...
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