Light-colored feathers may help migrating birds stay cool on long flights

From teeny hummingbirds to giant whooping cranes, roughly half of the world’s more than 10,000 bird species migrate. Longer wings and beefed-up flying muscles often help these birds crisscross vast expanses of air. But a study of nearly all bird species suggests many migrators share another unexpected flight aid: lighter-colored feathers.

Being a tad more lightly colored than non-migrating birds may help these long-distance fliers stay cool as they work hard under the hot sun to fly, researchers report December 6 in Current Biology.

It’s known that color can help birds hide from predators by blending in, or attract mates by standing out. But color has subtler effects too,

→ Continue reading at Science News

More from author

Related posts

Advertisment

Latest posts

The Tantalizing Mystery of the Solar System’s Hidden Oceans

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine.For most of humankind’s existence, Earth was the only known ocean-draped world, seemingly unlike any...

The Role of Scholarships and Grants in Financing Education

Applying for scholarships and grants helps students pay for college. In some situations, these awards allow people to obtain a degree they wouldn't be...

EV, hybrid and gas-powered: Some interesting cars coming in 2024 | CNN Business

CNN  —  Next year will see the introduction of some new, genuinely affordable electric vehicles as well as...