Page 103 - The Origin of Birds and Flight

The black, brown and grey pigments in bird feathers are present in the
blood, while the red and yellow pigments exist in oil. Lypochrome pig-
ments produce red, orange and yellow shades, and melanin produces
black, brown, reddish-brown and grey colors. 1 The color spectrum in
birds, the bright iridescent blues in their neck and tail feathers, stem from
lipochrome and melanin and the different ways they reflect light.
Moreover, protrusions on the feather, which can only be seen under a
microscope, function as a kind of prism, distributing the light that falls on
them in all the colors of the spectrum. This and many other systems are
used to create the bright colors on birds.
A bird is unaware of the features it possesses, of its feathers’ beauti-
ful colors and attractive appearance. A peacock, for instance, has no
idea of the magnificent appearance when it spreads its plumage. Only
human beings can appreciate this and only they can enjoy this beauty. In
the face of these beauties created by Allah, a
human’s responsibility is to give thanks to
our Lord, and to properly appreciate His
artistry and might.

1. C. Hickman, L. Roberts, A. Larson,
Integrated Principles of Zoology, New York:
McGraw-Hill, 2001, p. 588.