The bright blue hue of a blue jay can be an eye-catching sight set against the dreary, drab backdrop of winter. In actuality, though, blue jays aren't really blue. Instead, the blue appearance is a trick of science, an optical illusion of sorts. Show
Whereas a cardinal, for example, gets its red plumage from red pigment, blue jays don't have any blue pigment. In fact, blue pigment is rare in nature. Instead, the pigment in a blue jay's feathers — melanin — is brown, but we perceive it as blue because of a phenomenon called light scattering, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Light scattering is similar to the effects of a prism. A blue jay's wings contain tiny pockets made of air and keratin, the same protein that makes up our hair and fingernails. When light hits these pockets in the blue jay's feathers, all of the colors of the wavelength except blue are absorbed. The blue wavelength is refracted, which is what allows us to see the feathers as blue in color, according to the Cornell Lab. This optical illusion is not unique to blue jays. This same trick of the eye gives all blue-colored birds, including indigo buntings and bluebirds, their brightly colored appearance; none have any blue pigment. You can observe this phenomenon yourself if you happen to have a feather from a blue-colored bird. If you look at the feather in normal light conditions, it will appear blue, just as it does when you see the bird in nature. If you backlight the feather, however, it will appear brown. This is because the light won't be reflected back — there is no prism effect — so we will see the melanin in the feather instead of the reflection of the blue light. The iridescent feathers on the throat of many hummingbird species undergo a similar effect. Because of the microscopic barbules in their feathers, light that passes through is refracted similar to a prism, giving the appearance of rich iridescent colors, the Cornell Lab reports. Looked at in dark or other poor light conditions, the feathers appear much duller in color. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL Contents
My nephew came up to me recently when he saw a blue jay at a bird feeder and asked if I knew why blue jays are the color blue. Up until that point, I hadn’t actually thought about it much. But the query began nagging at me and it wouldn’t let go, so I researched the question and came up with an answer that almost blew my mind, which I’ll share with you in a moment. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology explains it by telling us that their feathers actually contain brown melanin, not blue. But they appear blue because scattered light reflects off of the surface of the feathers through modified skin cells. It turns out that in nature it’s very rare to find blue pigment. And I have a lot more in store for you! Believe it or not, I’d like to go even deeper on this topic and share a few important factoids that you may not have heard of. They include:
Are you desperate to discover the specifics behind the mystery? It won’t be long now, so keep reading to learn the truth. True Colors: The Surprisingly Real Colors Of Blue Jay Feathers This may seem hard to believe, but blue jay feathers aren’t actually blue. As a matter of fact, very brilliant scientific minds say that blue pigment doesn’t really exist in nature. Most people will tell you that it’s simply brown, but it’s actually more of a grayish brown. How are the colors of their feathers actually derived? Well, it happens in two different ways. First, the pigments found within the feathers of the blue jay play a big part. As we now know, this coloring of the pigmentation is more like a gray and brown hue. Second, the part of the process that makes these bird feathers appear blue has to do with light scattering, the reflection of the sun, and how the light reflects off of the feather microstructure to create a blue appearance. It’s very scientific, to say the least.
Light Scattering: The Essential Process Needed To Turn Blue Jay Feathers From Grayish Brown To BlueImagine for a second… You pick up a grayish-brown feather on the floor in a relatively bright part of the park with ample light. You assume it’s either a pigeon feather, the feather from a house sparrow, or maybe it’s a tufted titmouse feather. You show it to your friend and share your thoughts about the species. She corrects you and says that it’s actually a blue jay feather – and gives you the shock of a lifetime! You think, “What do you mean this is a blue jay feather? Are you feeling all right or should I call the doctor?” Your friend laughs off your silly comment and proceeds to explain the light scattering process. With light scattering, it works very similarly to a prism. But as we all know, nature is very tricky in her own right, so the process is actually much more complex. Believe it or not, within the wings of a blue jay you’ll find small pockets of air that also contain keratin, which is a protein. These pockets are really tiny, to say the least. As a matter of fact, they are so ridiculously small that they’re considered minuscule nanostructures that you can only see under a microscope. In fact, these microscopic nanostructures are so insignificant that they’re smaller than the visible light wavelength, which is the reason why they turn blue jay feathers blue. As the light touches the small pockets, they absorb the entirety of the colors of the wavelength, with one major exception. They do not absorb the color blue. The wavelength of blue colors is a refracted wavelength. And it’s this refraction that actually changes the color from grayish brown to blue. Basically, it’s nothing more than an optical illusion. It’s a stunningly beautiful optical illusion, but an optical illusion nonetheless! The Optical Illusion: Other Blue Colored Birds Experiencing The Same Trick Of The LightIt’s hard to believe, but the blue-colored feathers of blue jays and all bluebirds are merely an astonishing optical illusion and nothing more. How so? As I mentioned above, it’s just a trick of the eye because of the way the light reflects off the feathers of blue jays and other blue-colored birds. A list of other popular blue colored birds that experience this incredible optical illusion include:
The Backlighting Technique: A Foolproof Way To Prove That Blue Jay Feathers Aren’t Truly BlueDo you want to see this optical illusion in action? It’s possible to change the colors of blue jay feathers using the backlighting technique. Here’s how it works: Step #1:First, get your hands on a blue jay feather. If they regularly visit your backyard, pay attention and see if one of these feathers falls off of this beautiful bird. Or… You can buy them from one or more sellers on Etsy, eBay, or another online retail site. But keep this in mind… The Migratory Birds Treaty Act of 1918 actually makes it illegal to own the feathers of native birds. The United States entered into conservation treaties with the following countries:
And two of these treaties were amended in recent years. The treaty with Mexico was amended in 1976 and the treaty with Canada was amended in 1995. Ultimately, I’m sharing this information with you to potentially keep you out of trouble. Picking up a blue jay feather off the floor is harmless enough. But buying them online could potentially lead to trouble. Step #2:Second, take the feather and look at it under your normal everyday light. When you look at the feather, it certainly appears blue, just like it would when you look at a blue jay in its natural environment. Step #3:At this stage, I’d like you to backlight the feather. Ultimately, this means that I want you to provide illumination from behind the feather. Think of a backlit LCD screen or the backlight on your phone as a prime example. What do you see? With the backlighting in place, the prism effect is completely removed from the picture. Now the feather appears grayish-brown in color. And light is no longer being reflected back, so the blue reflection has completely disappeared.
The Undeniable Truth: The Actual Colors Of The Majority Of BirdsI’d like to share one more interesting fact about birds before I wrap things up. Did you know that all bird feathers are either the colors red, yellow, black, brown or orange? Yes, it’s true. And the reason why? This has to do with pigmentation. These pigments are imbued within the feathers of these birds. Other birds with the colors purple and blue – like our friend the blue jay – do not get their colors from their feather pigmentation as we learned today. Purple and blue appear because of the visible light spectrum being absorbed into the feathers and reflected to show these colors to our eyes. The Bottom Line On Why Are Blue Jays BlueAnyway… I know what you’re thinking. You never imagined that there was this much science involved with creating the blue coloration in the feathers of blue jays and other gorgeous bluebirds. But now you know the truth. And now you can share this information at a party and impress your friends, family, and neighbors! Do you want the quick version in case you’re starting to forget your lessons already? A brief recap includes:
This is invaluable information to all birdwatching aficionados and experts that like to know and understand about such things. Now, the next time your nephew asks about the color of blue jay feathers, you can treat him to a detailed and fleshed-out answer like I did. Why do some feathers appear blue?When white light strikes a blue feather, the keratin pattern causes red and yellow wavelengths to cancel each other out, while blue wavelengths of light reinforce and amplify one another and reflect back to the beholder's eye.
Are blue bird feathers actually blue?Blue birds are not really blue. They do not have any blue pigment. Instead they use a very cool trick called light scattering. It is somewhat similar to how a prism works.
What colour are Blue Jays feathers?This common, large songbird is familiar to many people, with its perky crest; blue, white, and black plumage; and noisy calls. Blue Jays are known for their intelligence and complex social systems with tight family bonds. Their fondness for acorns is credited with helping spread oak trees after the last glacial period.
How do birds get blue feathers?Colours in nature normally come from pigments, which absorb most light wavelengths except those they reflect to give the colour we see. But blue pigment is rare. Instead, the blue sported by bluebirds comes from tiny air pockets inside the feathers, which scatter light to create blue.
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Why do blue jay feathers look blue?
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