Melanins are common pigments that can make feathers black. Dark feathers containing melanins are more resistant to damage than other feathers. This is why the outer wing feathers of many birds with white wings, such as gulls, have black tips. Birds have six different feather types that vary in shape, structure, and function.
Gizmodo: These Birds Evolved Feathers So Dark, They’re Like A ‘Black Hole’
Feather variations Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates [1][2] and an example of a complex evolutionary novelty. [3] They are among the characteristics that distinguish the extant birds from other living ...
Tail feathers Most tail feathers, or rectrices rectricesRECT-ri-seestail feathers, feature an interlocking microstructure similar to wing feathers. Arranged in a fan shape, these feathers support precision steering in flight. Typically, birds have six pairs of feathers on the tail, which display increasing levels of asymmetry toward the outer ...
feather, the component structure of the outer covering and flight surfaces of all modern birds. Unique to birds, feathers apparently evolved from the scales of birds’ reptilian ancestors. The many different types of feathers are variously specialized for insulation, flight, formation of body contours, display, and sensory reception.
The Science of Birds - Learn about the complex structure of feathers and the different ways they’re used by birds.
The Parts of a Feather and How Feathers Work - Science of Birds
Feathers are a universal tool for birds, doing practically anything we can imagine a bird would need (think flight, insulation, and camouflage) as well as a number of unexpected functions.