Wildlife in Full Color - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

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COLOR in Birdsirror, mirror on the wall, who’s thefairest of them all?Birds, with maybe the exception oftropical fish and insects, are hands downthe most colorful creatures on earth! Justthink of the different colored birds thatyou have seen in your yard, at the park,along a trail or at the beach.Birds use color to advertise for a mate,to conceal themselves, to protect theirterritory, to feed their young, to identifythemselves to other members of theirflock, and maybe just to delight our eyes!COLORFUL BIRD NAMESMany birds that we see in Ohio havea color right in their name. The colorusually describes a part of the bird’sbody such as the head, crown, neck, eye,wing, legs, back, throat, belly, cheek orbreast. There are birds with names likeyellow-headed blackbird, white-crownedsparrow, black-necked stilt, white-eyedvireo, red-winged blackbird, greateryellowlegs, ruby-throated hummingbird,red-bellied woodpecker, gray-cheekedthrush, and rose-breasted grosbeak.An Ohio bird checklist (a list where youkeep track of all the species of birds thatyou see) lists 300 species of birds, and94 of them have a color as part of theirname. For mathematicians out there, youcan calculate that almost one-third of thebirds in Ohio have a color in their name!ACTIVITY: BIRDING CHECKLISTCreate a checklist of your bird observations!Keep track of the birds you see.Each time you add a bird to your list, youcan record when and where you saw it.Sometimes “birders” (people who gobirdwatching) will also record what thebird was doing (flying, feeding, perching,etc.) when they saw it.
COLOR SCHEME: TRIADICTriadic combinations are composed of three hues that are distributed at equal distances on a color wheel.These schemes tend to be quite vibrant, even with pale or unsaturated hues.COLORFUL FEATHERSA bird’s feathers come in a rainbow ofcolors. The colors in feathers are formedin two different ways, from pigments orfrom light refraction. Refraction is theturning or bending of light waves as itpasses from one surface into another.If you find a blue jay feather, you cansee for yourself how refraction works.First, observe the feather in normallight. You should see the expected bluecolor. Next, try putting a light behind thefeather. When light is transmitted throughthe feather, it will look brown.Some birds are iridescent, which meanstheir feathers disperse many colors whenviewed at different angles and in differentlight. Take a look at the ruby throat onthe ruby-throated hummingbird, or theshiny head of a grackle. At first glance,it may look dark, but when the light hitsjust right, the color is brilliant!Pay attention to color patterns on birdsthe next time you are outside. Noticehow certain field marks, like eye rings orwing bars, can be very boldly colored. Thetip of the cedar waxwing’s tail looks likeit is dipped in yellow paint. Not all birdswant to stand out. Some birds’ coloringhelps to “disrupt” or break up theirappearance making it harder to see them.This is called disruptive coloration and isvery easy to see in birds like the killdeer.The alternating bands of white and blackon the head and neck break up the outlineof the bird. This makes it more difficultto see the bird against a multi-coloredbackground.CROWN/CRESTTHROATEYE LINE/RINGBREASTCHEEK/MOUSTACHESHOULDERWINGBARFLANKRUMPTAILHOW BIRDS USE COLORIn the bird world, the male is usuallythe more colorful one, and with goodreason. The male bird uses his brightcolors to attract a mate, while the female,who sits at the nest with eggs and young,does not want to be noticed. She wantsto blend in with her surroundings and notattract predators. Color can be used tostand out and to hide!Another way that color is used inbirds is to identify themselves to othermembers of their flock. Color patterns insome shorebirds and waterfowl in flightcan be very distinctive. The color insideof the mouths of hungry chicks stimulatesthe parents to feed the young.Any way you look at it, from names,to feathers, to even their eggs, birdsare very colorful. The next time youare outside, take note of how manydifferent colored birds you can find.Which bird do you think is “the fairestof them all?”ACTIVITY: BIRDS OF A FEATHER MATCH TOGETHERUse the pictures below to help match the feathers to the correct bird.See answers on back cover1. _______ Barn Owl2. _______ Great Horned Owl3. _______ Wild Turkey4. _______ Pheasant5. _______ Wood Duck6. _______ Mallard2011 - 2012 WILD OHIO MAGAZINE19
Page 4 and 5: PRIMARYSurviving in a Wild WorldW I
Page 6 and 7: Color for ProtectionW I L D L I F E
Page 8 and 9: Hey Good Lookin’W I L D L I F E I
Page 10 and 11: People, Wildlife, and ColorW I L D
Page 12 and 13: hio’s mammals come in all kindsof
Page 14 and 15: COLOR in Fishh e n y o ut h i n k o
Page 16 and 17: hio’s insects are found in a rain
Page 20 and 21: COLOR in Amphibianshen we think abo
Page 22 and 23: nlike people, most young reptilesar

Wildlife in Full Color - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

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