Day: June 16, 2024

Happy Father’s Day: A tribute to those beautiful male birds

Happy Father’s Day to men everywhere! As we think of bird fathers, we can’t help but think about how beautiful they are. Have you noticed that in many species, the males are much more colorful than their female partners?

Some species with easily recognized males can best be shown in a pictorial.

Male Northern Cardinal – Dean Morr
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, by Dean Morr
Downey Woodpecker
Male Painted Bunting – Dean Morr
Eastern Towhee – David Etler
House Finch – Bob Hider
Wood duck
Eastern Bluebird – David Etler

Why are males more colorful? A Google search returned multiple articles that basically said the same thing….evolution has developed the males to be more colorful because:

  • Standing out for selection: Bright colors can act like a flashy advertisement for males. They show potential mates that the male is strong and healthy
  • Competition is fierce: In many bird species, males compete fiercely for the attention of females.
  • Defending territory: Those same flashy feathers can also be used to defend a male’s territory from other males. By showing off his bright colors, he might be able to scare off a rival without having to fight.
  • Species recognition: Bird species can also use color to identify each other, which is helpful for finding mates and avoiding predators.

Of course not all species vary coloration between males and females. I know I can’t tell the difference between males and females in Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, or Blue Jays.

And why are females not as colorful? My Google research says that generally, the female birds of many species are much duller in coloration because they’re the ones who lay, incubate, and hatch the eggs. Bright colors would draw attention and put the nest in danger.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention there are some species where the female is more colorful. Is this because the female is the one competing for the males? I couldn’t find an answer for that. One species that comes to mind where the female is more colorful is Belted Kingfisher. Apparently, Phalaropes, sandpipers and button quail are good examples of species in which the females are more colorful. I guess I’ll have to take a look for these species!

So on this day where we celebrate fathers and men of all species, let’s honor their beauty…whether internal or external.

Submitted by: Judy Morr