Feather colors of birds are produced by two substances called pigments - melanin and caritenoids. Melanin made in bird's body, is responsible for blacks, browns, and yellows, while carotenoids produce bright red, oranges, and other yellows. Carotenoids are there in the food the bird eats. Pink flamingoes would lose their shading if they coul not eat carotenoid - filled foods such as plankton, shrimp or - as handlers at Philadelphia Zoo have found carrots.
Other shimmering colors, such as the shiy green of a hummingbird or the peacock's tail, are produced in part by the shape of the feather. Slight differences in the shape of the barbs beak up the light as it hits the feather, producing an array of colours, much like a prism. The colors of bird will vary depending on the angle from which it is viewed.
