Two teams of researchers have independently identified a gene-encoded enzyme in birds that converts yellow pigments obtained from the diet into red pigments, which birds then use to color their ...

The redder, the better. And I’m not talking about beets, roses or presidential candidates. I’m talking birds. Well, some birds. In various species, red coloration in a male’s feathers or beak is an ...

In the bird world, the color red has special significance. Many species use red signals to attract mates or deter rivals, adding the color to their beaks, feathers, or bare skin. Generally speaking, ...

Why is Christian Science in our name? Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and we’ve always been transparent about that. The church publishes the ...

This time of year in the Eastern U.S., the birds are emerging in force, many flashing their brilliant reds—bright summer and scarlet tanagers, male cardinals in peak plumage or crimson male house ...

Why are some birds red? "It's a very basic question," say Auburn University Professor Geoffrey Hill. And, it all comes down to a single gene, called CYP2J19, recently identified by two separate teams ...

The ring-necked pheasant, an introduced species that has declined from its peak population in Pennsylvania in the 1970s to only a couple heavily managed pockets today, is one of the few birds that ...