We were in Churchill, Manitoba, in mid-June for some birding. This was high season there, so other birders also patrolled the roads. On one stretch of tundra we mingled with a small birding-tour group. It included a man wearing a red rain outfit. One of his companions were overheard muttering, “Doesn’t he have any color but red?” Birds are sensitive to color. Bright colors generally are considered a bad idea. The theory is that primary colors and close relatives are unnatural, more visible, and therefore more likely to spook birds. It makes more sense to blend with the habitat — tans and browns and grays, natural colors. Who outfits you for birding, Tommy Hilfiger or Eddie Bauer?  Â

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 at 3:09 pm and is filed under Backyard birding, Bird biology, Idea of the day. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.