Bird Color Morphs
Ask Kenn: What's Up With Bird Color Morphs and Phases? In some species, many adults wear different color patterns from others. Kenn Kaufman explains the phenomenon, and the lingo to describe it. Avian Color Morphs 13 Comments / Ecology / By Dr.
Roger Lederer Swainson's Hawk Light Morph We are familiar with soaring hawks overhead in search of prey. Red-tailed Hawks, Ferruginous Hawks, Swainson's Hawks and others we distinguish by their markings, mainly their underside because that's what we mostly see. Melanism causes birds to have an excess of dark pigmentation and is generally caused by a genetic mutation, but can also be a result of certain diets.
Bird Anatomy | Outside My Window
Some species have a naturally occurring melanic form (or "morph"), such as the Red. About 40% of bird species display multiple color morphs, giving you nature's best wardrobe variety show. You'll find these different forms because genetic mutations create alternative appearances that help birds adapt to changing environments, attract mates, or survive predation pressures more effectively.
A morph, or color phase, happens when birds of the same species regularly develop more than one plumage color. The morph plumage could be any color: white, red, blue, gray, brown, etc. One of the word's most common birds comes in a whole assortment of colors, yet I'd be willing to bet most people haven't noticed.
Pacific Parrotlet Color Mutation Chart | Parrotlet, Pacific parrotlet ...
Want to guess what that. The Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) presents a fascinating case of both age-related color change and dimorphism within the same species. Young egrets of both color morphs begin life with grayish-brown plumage and bluish bills with dark tips, making juvenile identification challenging.
As they mature, they develop into either the dark morph with distinctive reddish head and neck plumage. White Colour Morphs area form of evolutionary insurance policy-seldom needed, but always there in case there's a disaster, or a new opportunity. On rare occasions, a colour abnormality may turn out to be advantageous in the wild.
Discover the Stunning Neophema Mutations
In the past, white feathers must have enhanced the survival of a parrot in Australia, allowing it to live longer than others of its kind and to pass on its genes. These mutations can result in rare color morphs, such as albinism or leucism, where birds lack pigmentation or have partial loss of color. While these mutations may not always confer a survival advantage, they add to the overall diversity of bird colors and species.
The most obvious cause of color mutation is genetics. Different species of birds may have simple or complex genetic codes that can lead to certain feather colors and patterns; mutations in these genes, whether naturally occurring or artificially introduced (through selective breeding), will result in the bird taking on a different appearance. Post-doc Chima Nwaogu analysed the influence of weather conditions on timing of egg-laying and breeding success on Black Sparrowhawk morphs.
His results show that interactions between sex, timing of breeding and rainfall may underlie the maintenance of colour polymorphism and the increasing frequency of light morph Black Sparrowhawks in Cape Town.
