An unusual feature of the Darwin’s finch beak color is that it is only visible before birds leave the nest as adults, the beaks of most Darwin’s finches are entirely black due to deposition of melanin. Several species of Darwin’s finch nestlings have a beak color that is either yellow or pink. Leif Andersson, a professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) and Uppsala University, and researchers from Uppsala and Princeton universities have uncovered the genetic basis for the yellow beak color of some Darwin’s finch nestlings. Photo credit: Tui de Roy – Roving Tortoise Photos (finch) and Erik D. Bottom right, a Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher with a bright red beak.Ĭarotenoid pigments form the basis for red and yellow color in bird beaks and in Darwin’s finch nestlings, a genetic mutation interrupts a key carotenoid processing gene, leading to a bright yellow beak. Bottom left, a Yellow-footed Gull with a bright yellow beak and legs. Top left, a Medium Ground-Finch fledgling with a yellow lower beak begs for food from its parent. Beak color variation in different bird species.
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