Dot
01-18-2008, 07:29 PM
Most of us save molted feathers for Dr. Reyman at the University of Illinois. He distributes them to Native Americans. Below is a post from another list. I hope you will consider saving molted yellow, orange, and/or green feathers for this study.
Dear List:
As you know, Dr. Kevin McGraw of Arizona State University will be one of the speakers at the upcoming ASA convention. Please read on for an idea for one way to make the convention especially memorable, and also for any ASA member with a parrot to participate in cutting edge pigment research...
Dr. McGraw is world-renowned for his work in plumage pigmentation - from finches to spoonbills, from penguins to parrots!
You may recall the work that was done by Dr. McGraw and colleagues into the red parrot plumage pigment (red psittacofulvin, a non-carotenoid pigment unique to parrots) - an article about this work appeared in a past issue of the ASA Bulletin. Study of parrot pigment has revealed that the yellow feather pigment (also non-carotenoid) is quite different from the red, so studying the yellow pigment is very exciting work! Yellow parrot feather pigment even fluoresces! Examples of parrots with fluorescent yellow in their plumage are Budgerigars, Rosellas, Caiquest and Sulful-crested Cockatoos, to name only a few.
Yellow is a very important pigment for parrots, since many parrots display green (yellow pigment and structural blue color) and yellow coloration in their feathers.
At this time, Dr. McGraw's lab is positioned to make the study of the chemical nature of the elusive yellow parrot pigment one of its priorities! In order to make the study as comprehensive as possible, Dr. McGraw would like to obtain samples of yellow, orange and/or green feathers from as many parrot species as possible!
I would like to invite ASA members to participate in this exciting cutting-edge research by donating molted yellow, orange and green feathers from parrots in your collections. Feathers are needed as soon as you may be able to provide them, but not later than during May....
BUT!!!!!
I thought this might be especially fun for members who will be attending the convention, as you could provide samples to Dr. McGraw in person!
(NOTE: if you bring samples to the convention, you can still continue to gather samples to send to the lab until May - so parrots that molt later in the year can still be included!)
I hope you will consider participating in this research...please write to me privately with questions and for information about packaging, labeling and mailing the samples to Dr. McGraw's lab!...your contributions CAN remain anonymous!
(And of course, any papers that may result from this research will be shared with ASA members - and an article about the findings will be provided to the ASA Bulletin upon completion of the study!)
Here is a link Dr. McGraw's website for your convenience as well:
Dr. McGraw's website
http://www.public.asu.edu/~kjmcgraw/ (http://www.public.asu.edu/%7Ekjmcgraw/)
Thank you for your interest in this research! I look forward to hearing from you!...Please put FEATHER STUDY (or something similar) in the subject line!
Mary Nogare
Snoqualmie, WA
mailto:chardyspal@aol.com
Dear List:
As you know, Dr. Kevin McGraw of Arizona State University will be one of the speakers at the upcoming ASA convention. Please read on for an idea for one way to make the convention especially memorable, and also for any ASA member with a parrot to participate in cutting edge pigment research...
Dr. McGraw is world-renowned for his work in plumage pigmentation - from finches to spoonbills, from penguins to parrots!
You may recall the work that was done by Dr. McGraw and colleagues into the red parrot plumage pigment (red psittacofulvin, a non-carotenoid pigment unique to parrots) - an article about this work appeared in a past issue of the ASA Bulletin. Study of parrot pigment has revealed that the yellow feather pigment (also non-carotenoid) is quite different from the red, so studying the yellow pigment is very exciting work! Yellow parrot feather pigment even fluoresces! Examples of parrots with fluorescent yellow in their plumage are Budgerigars, Rosellas, Caiquest and Sulful-crested Cockatoos, to name only a few.
Yellow is a very important pigment for parrots, since many parrots display green (yellow pigment and structural blue color) and yellow coloration in their feathers.
At this time, Dr. McGraw's lab is positioned to make the study of the chemical nature of the elusive yellow parrot pigment one of its priorities! In order to make the study as comprehensive as possible, Dr. McGraw would like to obtain samples of yellow, orange and/or green feathers from as many parrot species as possible!
I would like to invite ASA members to participate in this exciting cutting-edge research by donating molted yellow, orange and green feathers from parrots in your collections. Feathers are needed as soon as you may be able to provide them, but not later than during May....
BUT!!!!!
I thought this might be especially fun for members who will be attending the convention, as you could provide samples to Dr. McGraw in person!
(NOTE: if you bring samples to the convention, you can still continue to gather samples to send to the lab until May - so parrots that molt later in the year can still be included!)
I hope you will consider participating in this research...please write to me privately with questions and for information about packaging, labeling and mailing the samples to Dr. McGraw's lab!...your contributions CAN remain anonymous!
(And of course, any papers that may result from this research will be shared with ASA members - and an article about the findings will be provided to the ASA Bulletin upon completion of the study!)
Here is a link Dr. McGraw's website for your convenience as well:
Dr. McGraw's website
http://www.public.asu.edu/~kjmcgraw/ (http://www.public.asu.edu/%7Ekjmcgraw/)
Thank you for your interest in this research! I look forward to hearing from you!...Please put FEATHER STUDY (or something similar) in the subject line!
Mary Nogare
Snoqualmie, WA
mailto:chardyspal@aol.com