Hi Tweets,

It has been stated that several times recently that "birds can see colors
because members of their species possess colored plumage". I agree that
in most cases this is probably a logical and correct assumption. However,
some caution is advised here, as there are many different theories as to
why birds and other animals possess bright colors or bold patterns.
Additional functions for coloration include camouflage, social signaling,
coordination of flock movement, reflecting or absorbion of light for
thermo-regulation, and providing a constrasting background for parasite
inspection. Many animals are typically dark on their backs and light on
their tummies (counter shaded) allowing them to blend into the landscape.
It has also been proposed that the bold coloration of some predators may
actually disrupt the coordinated flocking coordination of their prey.

The diversity of observations suggests that there is much variation in the
responses of birds to colors, both within and between species. Two often
overlooked features that may affect how an bird responds to colors include:
1) its current behavioral or emoational state, and 2) its prior experience
with the stimulus.

While studying harlequin ducks in the Olympics, I noticedthat when ever
raised my binoculars to my eyes while also holding my white field notebook,
it produced an elevated response form the birds. Recall the bold white
patterns of the drakes, they are probably hard wired for white flashes, as
this may signal incomming competing males.

Fred