Fluorescent colors in human fashion fall in and out of style. But, the glowing look is always alluring if you're a parrot, according to scientists in the
New findings on parrot plumage are reported in the 4 January 2002 issue of the international journal, Science, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
An ingenious experiment with budgerigar birds--completed by Kathryn E. Arnold of the
The researchers tested for evidence of fluorescent sexual signaling in the birds by applying sunscreen to the bright yellow crown feathers of males and females, to reduce the UV absorption of the plumage, consequently "dulling" their fluorescence.
The result: Both male and female budgies showed a significant sexual preference for brightly glowing (fluorescent) companions, compared to their sunscreen-slicked rivals. This suggests that natural fluorescence may be an adaptive signal in the birds, rather than a simple byproduct of their feather coloring.
With Kathryn Arnold, co-authors on this Science study were Ian P.F. Owens at the