Astaxanthin is responsible for the pink plumage flush in Franklin's and Ring-billed gulls

Journal of Field Ornithology

Volumn 77, Issue 1, 2006, Pages 29-33

  McGraw, Kevin J ^a   Hardy, Lisa S ^b  

^a ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b NONE   (United States)

Author keywords

Carotenoid pigmentation; Laridae; Larus delawarensis; Larus pipixcan; Plumage coloration

Indexed keywords

AVES; LARIDAE; LARUS DELAWARENSIS; LARUS PIPIXCAN; STERNA ELEGANS;

EID: 33746888301     PISSN: 02738570     EISSN: 15579263     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1557-9263.2006.00008.x     Document Type: Article

References (31)

1. BRUSH, A. H. 1990a. A possible source of the rhodoxanthin in some Cedar Waxwing tails. Journal of Field Ornithology 61: 355.
2. _. 1990b. Metabolism of carotenoid pigments in birds. FASEB Journal 4: 2969-2977.
3. BURGER, J., AND M. GOCHFELD 1994. Franklin's Gull (Larus pipixcan). In: The birds of North America, no. 116 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC.
4. FENOGLIO, S., M. CUCCO, AND G. MALACARNE. 2002. The effect of a carotenoid-rich diet on immunocompetence and behavioural performances in moorhen chicks. Ethology Ecology and Evolution 14: 149-156.
5. FOX, D. L. 1976. Animal biochromes and structural colors. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
6. _, V. E. SMITH, AND A. A. WOLFSON. 1967. Carotenoid selectivity in blood and feathers of Lesser (African), Chilean and Greater (European) flamingos. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 23: 225-232.
7. GOODWIN, T. W. 1984. The biochemistry of the carotenoids, Volume II. Animals. Chapman and Hall, New York, NY.
8. HARDY, L. 2003. The peculiar puzzle of the pink Ring-billed Gulls. Birding 35: 498-504.
9. HILL, G. E. 1999. Mate choice, male quality, and carotenoid-based plumage coloration. Proceedings of the International Ornithological Congress 22: 1654-1668.
10. _. 2002. A red bird in a brown bag: the function and evolution of colorful plumage in the House Finch. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.
11. HUDON, J., AND A. H. BRUSH. 1989. Probable dietary basis of a color variant of the Cedar Waxwing. Journal of Field Ornithology 60: 361-368.
12. _, AND _. 1990. Carotenoids produce flush in the Elegant Tern plumage. Condor 92: 798-801.
13. _, AND _. 1992. Identification of carotenoid pigments in birds. Methods in Enzymology 213: 312-321.
14. KOVACS, K., P. PECZELY, AND Z. SZELENYI. 1986. Steroid binding to feather follicles in the chicken. Journal of Endocrinology 109: 187-191.
15. MCGRAW, K. J. 2003. The physiological costs and benefits of being colorful in the Zebra Finch. Ph.D. dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
16. _, E. ADKINS-REGAN, AND R. S. PARKER. 2002b. Anhydrolutein in the Zebra Finch: a new, metabolically derived carotenoid in birds. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B 132: 811-818.
17. _, M. D. BEEBEE, G. E. HILL, AND R. S. PARKER. 2003a. Lutein-based plumage coloration in songbirds is a consequence of selective pigment incorporation into feathers. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B 135: 689-696.
18. _, G. E. HILL, R. STRADI, AND R. S. PARKER. 2001. The influence of carotenoid acquisition and utilization on the maintenance of species-typical plumage pigmentation in male American Goldfinches (Carduelis tristis) and Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 74: 843-852.
19. _, AND R. S. PARKER. 2003b. Carotenoid pigments in a mutant cardinal: implications for the genetic and enzymatic control mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism in birds. Condor 105: 587-592.
20. _, _, R. STRADI, AND R. S. PARKER. 2002a. The effect of dietary carotenoid access on sexual dichromatism and plumage pigment composition in the American Goldfinch. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B 131: 261-269.
21. _, K. WAKAMATSU, A. B. CLARK, AND K. YASUKAWA. 2004. Red-winged Blackbirds use carotenoid and melanin pigments to color their epaulets. Journal of Avian Biology 35: 543-550.
22. MULVIHILL, R. S., K. C. PARKES, R. C. LEBERMAN, AND D. S. WOOD. 1992. Evidence supporting a dietary basis for orange-tipped rectrices in the Cedar Waxwing. Journal of Field Ornithology 63: 212-216.
23. NEGRO, J. J., AND J. GARRIDO-FERNANDEZ. 2000. Astaxanthin is the major carotenoid in tissues of White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) feeding on introduced cray-fish (Procambarus clarkii). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B 126: 347-352.
24. PARKER, R. S. 1996. Absorption, metabolism, and transport of carotenoids. FASEB Journal 10: 542-551.
25. SCHEIDT, K. 1998. Absorption and metabolism of carotenoids in birds, fish and crustaceans. In: Carotenoids: Biosynthesis, Volume 3 (G. Britton, S. Liaaen-Jensen, and H. Pfander, eds.), pp. 285-355. Birkhauser Verlag, Basel, Switzerland.
26. SLIFKA, K. A., P. E. BOWEN, M. STACEWICZ-SAPUNTZAKIS, AND S. D. CRISSEY. 1999. A survey of serum and dietary carotenoids in captive wild animals. Journal of Nutrition 129: 380-390.
27. STEGMANN, B. 1956. Uber die Herkunft des fluchtigen rosenroten Federpigments. Journal fur Ornithologie 97: 204-205.
28. STRADI, R. 1998. The colour of flight: carotenoids in bird plumage. Solei Gruppo Editoriale Informatico, Milan, Italy.
29. _. 1999. Pigmenti e sistematica degli uccelli. In: Colori in volo: il piumaggio degli uccelli (L. Brambilla, G. Canali, E. Mannucci, R. Massa, N. Saino, R. Stradi, and G. Zerbi, eds.), pp. 117-146. Universita degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
30. TORRISSEN, O. J., AND R. CHRISTIANSEN. 1995. Requirements for carotenoids in fish diets. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 11: 225-230.
31. WITMER, M. C. 1996. Consequences of an alien shrub on the plumage coloration and ecology of Cedar Waxwings. Auk 113: 735-743.