Brightly coloured birds were more severely affected by the Chernobyl disaster than those with a dull plumage, according to research that helps to explain why some species are more vulnerable to radiation than others.

A survey of 1,570 birds from 57 species in the forests around Chernobyl, in Ukraine, has revealed that the populations of several groups declined much more than others after the nuclear reactor meltdown in 1986.

Birds with bright red, yellow or orange feathers, birds that lay particularly large eggs, and birds that migrate or disperse over long distances, were the worst affected, scientists found.

Plumage colour, egg size and migration distance are linked to antioxidant levels in the blood. The results, from Anders Møller of Pierre and Marie Curie University, in Paris, and Professor Timothy Mousseau, of the University of South Carolina, are significant as they highlight the role of antioxidants in protecting against radiation damage by mopping up dangerous free radical atoms.

Orioles, robins and blue tits were among the colourful birds that suffered most, while species such as tree pipits, coal tits and chaffinches were much more likely to survive.

The long-distance migrants that were most affected included quails, hoopoes and blackbirds. Song thrushes and great tits, which have much smaller ranges, fared much better.

The findings are published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

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