As the birds return and the year around birds shed their dull winter coat, the bird sunflower feeders show a rainbow of colors. The Goldfinch summer’s bright yellow feather pop next to the brilliant blue of the Indigo Bunting. And the red patch standout among the white and black of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Rainbow Colors at the Feeder
Yesterday a couple of male Indigo Buntings arrived at my bird feeders. There might have been some females too, but the female’s brown color does not pop out like the male’s blue even though the males do not have blue pigment. The blue we see instead comes from microscopic structures that refract and reflect blue light in their feathers.
Male Indigo Bunting
It is always interesting to see the variety of colors in the backyard, not just from the wildflowers, but the rainbow of birds. The red of the cardinals, the orange of the orioles, the yellow from the goldfinch and the blue of the indigo bunting all make a colorful splash at the feeders.
Male Indigo Bunting
The birds feathers might have been ruffled a bit this morning when their bird feeder was missing from it normal spot. Although it was near the same area, the feeder was closer to the ground after the bear snapped the pole last night. I made enough noise so the bear left, but I waited until morning before patching the pole back in place and refilled the feeder with seed.
Missing Feeder
My bird feeder had some new color today although most of the birds weren’t sharing so it was a revolving scene of color. The oriole was displaying its orange color as it rested on top of the feeder as the red cardinal was trying to land, but soon was replaced by the goldfinch and the black, red and white of the grosbeak. But a flash of blue caught my eye as an Indigo Bunting flew up from the ground to the feeder. With a cheerful song, it is sometimes called the blue canary.
Indigo Bunting
The critters, besides myself, may have been feeling a little blue this morning since it started out wet, cold and gray, but some birds really show the blue like these Indigo Buntings. The males actually lack blue pigment and their color comes from microscopic structures in the feathers that reflect blue light. I had three males at the feeder at one time but I didn’t see any females (who are probably sitting on the nest) and aren’t as noticeable in their brown color. An interesting fact is that they migrate at night using the stars as navigation.
Male Indigo Buntings
When I see a flash of blue in the yard, I just assume it is a bluebird but yesterday the blue was from an Indigo Bunting instead. It was the first I had seen them this year but since they migrate at night using the stars for guidance, they probably couldn’t arrive earlier with all the snowy nights.
Like all other blue birds, Indigo Buntings lack blue pigment. Their jewel-like color comes instead from microscopic structures in the feathers that refract and reflect blue light, much like the airborne particles that cause the sky to look blue.
Indigo Bunting
