The feather on the left is a turkey vulture feather, which is colored by melanin (the very same melanin that colors darker skin or freckles). As a pigment, melanin functions to protect against UV light and in birds makes their feathers more durable. The melanin pigment itself is what creates the color (blackish brown, in this case) in the feather.
The feather on the right is a macaw feather, and the blue is a 'structural color'. There actually aren't any naturally occurring blue pigments in birds. The blue is caused by only the blue wavelength of light reflecting (refracting?) off of microscopic air pockets in the structure of the feather (air pockets in the keratin to be precise--feathers are made of the same material our fingernails and hair are made out of), which reach our eyes and make the feather appear blue to us. So you can see where parts of the feather AREN'T blue, but instead are a brownish color, because for whatever reason the blue wavelength of light isn't reflecting into the camera lens at that angle. So all you are seeing is the very thin layer of melanin under the air pockets, making the feather appear brown.
Tada!
To make this a real blog post, though, (*SIGH* I GUESS so), Andrew and I worked all day, debated some politics and then had Wendy's for dinner while watching the newest Glee episode. Also, over the past couple of days I have really noticed how skinny Roman is now. Skinny and affectionate. I'm sure she is plotting to kill us. She just must first figure out how to achieve a constant supply of sustenance without us, and then we're gone. Maybe the dog is the key to it all...hmmm...
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