Exposure to sulfur-rich volcanic soil may increase production of pheomelanin, a pigment that gives a reddish tint to the feathers of barn owls living on remote volcanic islands Barn owls (Tyto alba) ...
Life on a volcanic isle appears to give barn owls a blush of red-brown plumage. The high-sulfur environment on such islands influences the birds’ coloration, researchers report March 13 in the Journal ...