The Mystery of Color

Color is an interesting characteristic of many living things. Human eyes can see a range of colors in the visible spectrum. The cones in the human eye can see red at the low-energy end of the spectrum and violet at the high-energy end. Between those two extremes, orange, yellow, green, and blue have increasing energy, and we see colors when the light reflected from an object is between those extremes. Scientists are fascinated by the mystery of color in living things.

Pigments, nanostructures, or melanin can combine to cause various colors in birds. Parrot feathers have unique pigments called psittacofulvins. Enzymes act on the psittacofulvins to produce the vibrant parrot colors. Cardinals get their red color from pigments called carotenoids from the food they eat. Psittacofulvins seem to be more durable than carotenoids since they don’t come from diet. Many birds demonstrate color in parts of their anatomy other than feathers, such as their bills.

A great deal of research has attempted to understand why color exists in living things, how it is produced, and what role it has in survival. Colors in birds can make them stand out in their surroundings and help them attract mates. Color can also serve as camouflage to protect from predators. However, in some birds, there seems to be no survival or reproductive purpose in their color–only beauty. Only humans can appreciate beauty because we are created in the image of God. That could be the reason for the enduring mystery of color.

— John N. Clayton © 2025
Reference: Science News for December 14 & 28, 2024, page 36