Birds are, hands down, the most colorful terrestrial vertebrates on earth, matched only by insects and coral reef fishes. Birds did not evolve their colors to delight our eyes; they evolved it to impress members of their own species, the classic example being the tail of the peacock. Beautiful as the peacock is, the plumage of many other birds leaves us gasping in amazement, and we wonder what “tricks” nature uses to such stunning effects. Those tricks actually come in two forms: pigments that absorb some color wavelengths and reflect others and minute particles in the feathers that influence only shorter wavelengths, thus making some birds appear blue and iridescent to our eyes.
Silver-breasted broadbill
Keel-billed toucan
Golden-tailed sapphire
White-winged fairy wren
Fisher’s lovebirds
Green-headed tanager
Indian paradise flycatcher
Ochre-collared monarch
Tawny-flanked prinia
The flame bower bird
Malayan banded pitta
Sula pitta
The Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise is an Indonesian endemic found in hill and lowland rainforests of Waigeo and Batanta Islands, off West Papua New Guinea, home of many other birds-of-paradise species such as the Magnificent bird-of-paradise shown in the next photo.
A male Magnificent bird-of-paradise, with its distinctive bottle green chest and yellow at the back of the neck, both of which can erect into elaborate ornamentation during courtship displays. This bird also has a long, flattened, curly tail feathers that reflect blue.
WATCH: Making an Impression: The Secret World of Birds-of-Paradise Courtship Displays
