Blue. A favorite, maybe even mostly preferred color to the sky. When it comes to our birdy friends and the colors of their feathers, blue, in its various shades, is unique. The color does not arise from pigment but from light waves interacting with the feathers and the keratin molecules that comprise them. The different shades of blue come from light reflecting in different ways from different keratin structures in the feathers.
Let’s see some shades of blue.
Mainly pure blue.
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird winter coloration with more gray
Mountain Bluebird in summer coloration
Pinyon Jay
California Scrub-jay
Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
Steller’s Jay
Some combination of bluish-grayish.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, goes gray out of breeding colors
Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
And finally blue with some iridescence.
Immature Black-billed Magpie. Iris coloration will turn to brown or black as the bird matures.
What blue colored birds have you seen? Looking forward to bluebirds or birds with blue from other parts of the planet.
THE DAWN CHORUS IS NOW OPEN FOR YOUR BIRDY REPORTS OF THE WEEK.