An important technique to analyze microscopic samples is UV-visible range microspectroscopy. The technique can analyze samples in the micron range, and as such is perfectly suitable for research on ...

An extreme closeup of feathers from a bird with an uncanny ability to hold water while it flies could inspire the next generation of absorbent materials. With high resolution microscopes and 3D ...

Feather microstructures can remarkably change the appearance of red plumage without any corresponding changes in either pigment concentration or molecule types Adult male Brazilian tanager ...

A small group of birds, the sandgrouse, that dwell in Africa’s forbidding deserts have long mystified and delighted observers because they absorb and carry water in their breast feathers whilst flying ...

For decades, when people have wanted to stick two things together but later pull them back apart, Velcro has been the answer. In the future, however, the material may get some competition from bird ...

Researchers have figured out how desert sandgrouse use their feathers to sustain thirsty chicks. The Namaqua sandgrouse, a bird native to the deserts of southern Africa, has a unique way of helping ...

Many birds’ feathers are remarkably efficient at shedding water — so much so that “like water off a duck’s back” is a common expression. Much more unusual are the belly feathers of the sandgrouse, ...

The feather is an extraordinary biological invention and the key to the success of modern birds. It has to be light and flexible to give birds fine control over their airborne movements, but tough and ...