Yellow fat — also called xanthophil — is the dye that ultimately determines the appearance of a black-and-yellow canary. It is also a pigment color, but of a completely different nature than the two melanins: it is a carotenoid or fatty substance color, easily soluble in oils and fats. It comes directly from the seed nutrition as lutein and - unlike melanins - is deposited in the growing feather via the blood.
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