The Feathered Rainbow: Birds and Color

Though not part of communication, many birds also use their colors for camouflage. This is particularly true of many female birds. Many females tend to be grayer or browner than the males of their species. This helps them to hide when they sit on the nest. In a few species, like phalaropes, where the males sit on the nest, the males are the ones that are drably colored, while the females are bright and showy. When the (usually) male birds of a species are more brightly colored, the males often use those colors to advertise who, what and where they are.

A male Painted Bunting (a kind of finch) is bright blue, red, and white. His plumage tells other birds that he’s a Painted Bunting, so they know whether they have to pay any attention to him. It also tells other Painted Buntings he’s a male. The colors tell female Painted Buntings he might be available as a mate, and tells male Painted Buntings to stay away, as he might be a rival for territory and for the attention of the females.

Just by being brightly colored and sitting where he can be seen, he can do all that without ever opening his mouth to sing.

Of course some birds change colors, either as they become older, or from season to season. Young birds, once they leave the nest, generally look like a female of their species. This gives young males some time to “learn the ropes” before other males consider them a rival.

The change of color from season to season is usually part of molting. Feathers wear out and need to be replaced. Most birds drop and replace all their feathers once or twice a year, over the course of a month or so. Male birds need their freshest brightest colors (for all that communication they’re doing) during the breeding season, so usually molt just before breeding season (usually spring). For some birds, after the breeding season is over, they might need to be camouflaged again, so many birds molt again in the fall into feathers that look more like a females.

So, why do they come in all those colors? Though camouflage is the answer for many, communication is the answer for most.

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