The study of avian bare-part color, while understudied compared to other avian traits, reflects a broad diversity of color that can arise through variable evolutionary mechanisms. This dissertation exercises multiple levels of analysis to explore avian color and evolution at its fundamental levels, how these elements can impact variation, and how this variation translates more broadly to the context of avian ecology. The efforts of this dissertation applies transcriptomic, genetic, phylocomparative, and network approaches to provide insights into how color can evolve in a dynamic trait across multiple time scales, within different tissues, and under the influence of varying selective and structural effectors. Furthermore, this dissertation includes two additional chapters that harness the analytical approach used in the avian color studies to inform decision-making through sustainability and inclusion policies at multiple scales of institutional organization.