Oo Oo Oocyan

So birds do not produce blue pigments . . .

Egg of Zanzibar Bishop (Euplectes nigroventris), on the left beside egg of Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

. . . at least not in their feathers.

While there are no known blue avian integumentary pigments, the blue-green coloration of avian eggshell is the result of biliverdin (or oocyan) pigmentation.

And in case you have an appetite for a blue omelette, read this myth-buster.

~ by finchwench on Friday, 26 September 2008.

2 Responses to “Oo Oo Oocyan”

  1. […] blue pigment. Biliverdin, the pigment responsible for the blue-green coloration observable in the photo of the egg that I posted, is also a precious […]

  2. […] Bishops: nothing to be blue about! Do you remember those blue eggs? I found these here and there in the bird […]

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