The green color of the superb startling’s wing feathers is produced by microscopically structured surfaces that interfere with and scatter light. (Feathers: Displays of Brilliant Plumage by Robert Clark, published by Chronicle Books 2016)

The green color of the superb startling’s wing feathers is produced by microscopically structured surfaces that interfere with and scatter light. (Feathers: Displays of Brilliant Plumage by Robert Clark, published by Chronicle Books 2016)

The Extravagant Beauty of Feathers

A new book spotlights the astonishing diversity of avian plumage

By Amy Crawford

Is there anything in nature that is both so extravagantly beautiful and so dang useful as a feather? Read more.