Birds come in a rainbow of colors, ranging from the bland brown of house sparrows to the multiple neon hues of painted buntings.
Generally, the male bird has the brightest colors, while females make do with more subdued tones. After all, the male needs to stand out to attract a mate, while the female often wants to blend in and escape notice while sitting on a nest.
I am especially fond of the orange-red of the male cock-of-the-rock, but I’m also a fan of the pink in a flamingo, the blue of a mountain bluebird and the green of a green jay.
And it is not only the feathers of a bird that provides color. Consider the massive beak of a toucan: it ranges in color from pale yellow and turquoise to a rusty red.
Bird eyes also come in a variety of colors. Mostly, they are circular, sometimes outlined in red, and often in white. I think owls have some of the most noteworthy eyes, with a big round outer portion and a dark inner pupil.
Brown and black feathers probably account for a majority of bird coloration. In brown, we have sparrows and wrens, plus many other species, Black accounts not only for crows and ravens, but a multitude of avian creatures that include the wellnamed blackbird, both plain and red-winged, and multiple vultures, often referred to as “Buzzards.”
Of course, birds are not always one solid color; they often incorporate stripes, spots and speckles that liven things up. European bee eaters are multihued and quite attractive.
So whether you spot a bright yellow warbler or a dull gray barn owl, enjoy the color and enjoy the bird.
