From the time the instructor said it in that environmental education class all those years ago, I’ve found it fascinating. “A Blue Jay’s blue feathers aren’t really blue,” Mary said. They’re actually grayish brown, and I think of the miracle just about every time I admire a Blue Jay — like on this cold, cloudy morning when Blue Jays joined our other feathered friends taking turns at the feeder out back.
Rather than being caused by pigment, the blue color we see when we look at Blue Jays is the result of the way light is affected by their feathers’ structure; and Blue Jays aren’t alone. Other “blue” species trick us with this same optical illusion. In contrast, the vibrant red feathers of our male Northern Cardinals do not deceive us. They truly are red. The males obtain their beautiful red from carotenoid pigments found in the foods they eat.
A simple experiment demonstrates this. If a Blue Jay feather is crushed, the powder will be grayish brown. If a male Northern Cardinal feather is crushed, the powder will be red. An even simpler experiment can be done by looking — really looking — at a soggy Blue Jay on a rainy day. Drenched feathers don’t lie.
I’ve heard some express the opinion that if it looks blue, it’s blue and it doesn’t matter what is causing it to look blue.
A lovely capture. My blue jays got to the peanuts first today, so I will have to throw out more for the squirrel. And the narrative is so interesting...I've never heard this before.
