http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2012/08/02/dark-monarchs-fly-better/ A Bird Blog with Kate St. John Sun, 19 May 2013 21:27:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2012/08/02/dark-monarchs-fly-better/comment-page-1/#comment-18417 Kate St. John Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:58:40 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=54734#comment-18417 It’s also true that darker pigments strengthen the structures they color so they don’t break down as quickly through wear & tear. Here’s a blog about it: http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2010/06/26/anatomy-feathers-wear-out/

]]> http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2012/08/02/dark-monarchs-fly-better/comment-page-1/#comment-18415 Tammy Deemer Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:14:34 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=54734#comment-18415 Doesn’t it make sense that they would have an advantage in migration because the darker color would help them collect more solar radiation leading to higher metabolism thereby enabling them to evade predators better/ burn the energy needed to make long flights?

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