Carotenoids in bird plumage: the complement of yellow and red pigments in true woodpeckers (Picinae)

Woodpeckers typically have colorful, multipatterned plumages. To understand the biochemical basis of the species-specificity of coloration in woodpecker, the complement of carotenoids in the red and yellow feathers of 13 species of true woodpeckers (Picinae) was determined. The pigments were extracted under mild conditions. The extracts were analyzed by HPLC coupled with mass and UV-vis spectroscopy. The 4-oxo-carotenoids (particularly astaxanthin and alpha-doradexanthin) were responsible for the red colors in these species. Picofulvins were the dominant carotenoids in the yellow feathers of some species. Unmodified lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin were responsible for the yellow and green colors in other species. Tentative molecular structures for the three main picofulvins are proposed based on the results of spectroscopy (W-vis, MS) and chemical tests. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.