Melanin is the naturally occurring biological polymer that provides pigmentation to darken skin and feathers, it also provides durability and resistance to abrasion. Black feathers do a better job of shading the skin and keeping a bird cool. It’s thought that black feathers help camouflage a bird into the shadows, black is also often found near brightly colored feathers to provide optimum contrast and visibility. The glistening iridescent colors seen on some black feathers are caused by tiny prismatic structures that refract light waves revealing colors, depending on the angle of one’s perspective.
