Feathers are unique to birds and many species display bright colors to their feathers. All the feathers on a bird’s body are collectively called plumage. The word is derived from the Latin word ‘plume’ meaning feather. A bird’s plumage can be described as ‘the layers of feathers on the body of a bird and their color, pattern and shape’. The plumage of birds differs from species to species and there are also variations between subspecies. The plumage also differs between male and female or between adult and juvenile birds.
Males of many species of birds display bright coloration as compared to the females, as they have to compete with other males for sexual selection by the females. Females on the other hand are usually drab colored because they have to incubate eggs during the nesting period and if they are brightly colored, they can easily attract predators.
In the case of the Long-tailed Minivet, the male is bright red and black in coloration whereas the female has yellow and grey coloration that normally looks bright but during the summer season, matches with the foliage of the tree canopy where the species nests, thus ensuring protection against predation.
The Long-tailed Minivet is a winter altitudinal migrant to Corbett Tiger Reserve and can be seen in the area from October till April.
BirdFacts: Why there are differences in the plumage coloration of male & female Long-tailed Minivet
