If you asked someone to describe a flamingo, one word that would almost certainly be included is pink. These vibrant birds are well known for their distinctive hue. But did you know that their characteristic pink color comes not from genetics but diet?
Biological pigments provide color to living things. The primary pigment in animals is melanin. There are a few types of melanin that can mix in different levels to create shades of black, brown and red. Plants and bacteria have multiple pigments that come in hundreds of varieties. These pigments can sometimes accumulate in animals that eat them and change the color of the animal.
When flamingos hatch, they are a dull gray color. As they grow, the birds gain their rosy color by consuming carotenoid rich algae or brine shrimp. The shrimp also eat the algae making them pink which in turn makes the flamingos pink. The more this pigment accumulates in the diet of the flamingo, the pinker it becomes. In captivity, keepers supplement the diet of flamingos with carotenoids to keep their color from fading.
Many birds besides flamingos owe their brilliant plumage to their diet. In our own back yard, the cardinal and gold finch are two very bright, distinctive birds whose color comes from the berries and seeds they eat. In experiments to see how diet affected their color, researchers were able to get male gold finches to grow orange plumage by feeding them red carotenoids. When they removed red carotenoids from the cardinals diet their feathers came in pale red.
Birds are not the only animals whose color can change based on diet. Wild salmon also owe their pink color to carotenoid rich algae that are eaten by the small fish and crustaceans the salmon eat. Farmed salmon have to be fed color additives to reach a similar shade.
Humans can experience a change of color due to diet as well. A diet too rich in carotenoids can turn your skin orange, a condition known as carotenemia. While too much pumpkin and cantaloupe may leave you orange, research does suggest an extra two servings of fruits and vegetables a day can lead to a change in skin tone. So, if you are looking to achieve a healthy glow, try increasing your plant intake, but make sure it’s coming from a good variety of plants to get the benefits of all the many nutrients they provide and avoid turning orange, (even if you are a true Vol).
Crystal Kelly is a feature writer for Bizarre Bytes with those unusual facts that you only need to know for Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy or to stump your in-laws.
