Developmental stressors are increasingly recognised for their pervasive influence on the
ecology and evolution of animals. In particular, many studies have focused on how …

Fault bars are narrow malformations in feathers oriented almost perpendicular to the rachis
where the feather vein and even the rachis may break. Breaks in the barbs and barbules …

The first comprehensive review of all aspects of the biology of moult, drawing information
from across the literature and in all birds, from penguins to passerines. Feathers are …

The concentration of the glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (CORT) is increasingly used
in ecology and conservation biology as an integrated measure of the historical record of an …

With heart-shaped face, buff back and wings, and pure white underparts, the barn owl is a
distinctive and much-loved bird which has fascinated people from many cultures throughout …

Melanin is the most widespread pigment in organisms. Melanin-based coloration has been
repeatedly observed to be associated with the same traits and in the same direction in …

Trace metals from anthropogenic activities are involved in numerous health impairments
and may therefore select for detoxification mechanisms or a higher tolerance. Melanin …

Short and long-term sound-induced stress on daily basis can affect the physiology of avian
individuals because they are more susceptible to sound stress in an open environment …

Background Intra-specific variation in melanocyte pigmentation, common in the animal
kingdom, has caught the eye of naturalists and biologists for centuries. In vertebrates, dark …

Glucocorticoid (GC) hormones are significant regulators of homeostasis. The physiological
effects of GCs critically depend on the time of exposure (short vs. long) as well as on their …