CHAPTER V 



THE COLORS AND PLUMAGE OF BIRDS 



Moulting of scarlet tanager. The bright colors of 

 plumage found on some birds have been one means 

 of attracting attention to the study of bird life. 

 Quite as interesting as the bright colors themselves 

 are the changes in color through which a bird may 

 pass during a year. The case of the scarlet tanager 

 may be taken as an illustration. When the young 

 bird first leaves the nest, its general color is yellow- 

 ish green above and streaked below. During the fall 

 these feathers are moulted and a new set appears, 

 the bird being olive green above and greenish yellow 

 below, with brown wings and tail. The bird passes 

 the winter in this plumage, that of the male and 

 female being similar. In the spring the bird again 

 moults and the male acquires the bright-red body 

 feathers, while the female retains its olive-green color. 

 These are the breeding-plumages which the birds re- 

 tain during the summer. In the fall the birds moult 

 again and the male again acquires the greenish plum- 

 age of the previous winter except that its wings and 

 tail are now black instead of brown. 



Moulting. All birds moult in the fall, and when 

 the male in his summer plumage is more brightly 



