#structural absorption

[mudwerks]

The World’s Most Metal Bird Makes Darkness Out of Chaos

The highly modified feathers of a male bird of paradise absorb 99.95 percent of light, creating an astonishingly dark black.

A comparison of a normal feather, top left, and a feather from a paradise riflebird, top right. The bottom panels are the feathers coated in gold. Notice how the riflebird’s still appears a deep black.