Color-Changing Feathers

Xintong Si (‘26)

When the seasons change, many things change with it. Like trees that change from green to reds, yellows, & browns, many birds — mostly male ones, although this applies to the females of select species’ — also change colors. However, instead of simply turning a different color, they shed their bright feathers from the warmer seasons and replace them with duller ones. This is mainly due to the passing of the breeding season which typically starts in the spring and ends in late summer), since colorful feathers attract females but also invite aggression from other males to fight over nesting territory and more. In order to prevent unwanted aggression and to save energy for the winter, the bright, eye-catching feathers will be replaced in the males with more muted ones, which also allows them to congregate with other birds of the same species. 

Another reason for this change in plumage is so the damaged and weathered feathers from the summer can be replaced by new ones. An example of this color change can be seen with wood ducks, which have a breeding plumage during the breeding season and change into a duller, eclipse plumage in late summer.