The black feathers of the male bird of paradise eat light. That’s because unlike a typical bird feather, which is more or less neatly structured with branches that branch off of branches, kind of like a fractal, the bird of paradise feather looks like an irregular forest of trees. _____________. Light strikes the feather, and is repeatedly scattered within these cavities. Each time it scatters, a little bit is absorbed, so that's how they become so black.