Parrot feathers contain an anti-bacterial pigment

Parrot feathers contain an anti-bacterial pigment. A parrot’s brilliant plumage has a special defence against damage: Psittacofulvins, a pigment that only parrots are known to produce, give the birds’ feathers their red, yellow and green colouration. In a 2011 study, researchers exposed different colours of feathers to a feather-damaging bacteria strain and found that the pigment helped protect the glorious plumage from degradation.

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