Resistance of melanized feathers to bacterial degradation: is it really so black and white?

By A. Gunderson, Alicia M. Frame, J. Swaddle, M. H. Forsyth. 2008

106 citations recorded by the source corpus.

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Feather-Degrading Bacteria: A New Frontier in Avian and Host–Parasite Research? (2008, background): “Feathers colored by melanins are also more resistant to FDB than unpigmented feathers (Goldstein et al. 2004, Gunderson et al. 2008; but see Grande et al. 2004).”
Evidence that plumage bacteria influence feather coloration and body condition of eastern bluebirds Sialia sialis (2009, unknown): “This result is an interesting compliment to previous results demonstrating that feathers colored with melanins resist bacterial degradation (Goldstein et al. 2004, Gunderson et al. 2008).”
Number and colour composition of nest lining feathers predict eggshell bacterial community in barn swallow nests: an experimental study (2010, background): “White feathers from live chickens were more rapidly degraded in vitro by B. licheniformis than black feathers and they supported higher bacteria growth (Goldstein et al. 2004; Gunderson et al. 2008).”
How Birds Combat Ectoparasites (2010, background): “Work is also needed to elucidate the precise mechanism(s) by which melanins deter bacteria [67].”