| Abstract: | Carmine bee-eaters (Merops nubicus) in captivity lost feather color when fed diets supplemented with canthaxanthin (23 mg/kg dry matter), a pigment and concentration known to maintain adequate color in numerous other bird species. Supplementation of whole insects with natural mixed carotenoids including α- and β-carotene, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, and lutein resulted in a quantifiable change in feather color in this species. Positive identification of feather pigments and elucidation of metabolic pathways of color production in bee-eaters remain to be completed; initial data suggest α-carotene or derivatives as primary pigments or precursors in this species. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
