Whether they are the hunter or thehunted, a bird'scamouflage is vital to survival. For raptors and other predators, blending in is keyto surprising their prey. Meanwhile, for birds that don't want to become someone else's meal, the less conspicious you are, the better. Camouflage is also important for manynesting birds, who sit vulnerable on nests for long periods of time. Of course, there are exceptions,like Blue Jays, birds that would rather use their plumage tofind mates than hide from predators. But for the most part,camouflage is a common trait across species, and as these examples show, it can be as diverse as the avian world itself.
Great Gray Owl (above)
A mysterious denizen of far northern climes and the Mountain West, the Great Gray Owl is one of our largest owls and cuts an imposing figure—much of which isfeathery fluff. It's hard to believe such a large bird could simply disappear, butif the owl in the photo aboveclosed its huge eyes, you wouldn't even know it was there, nor would any unsuspecting voles or rabbitsbelow.
Great Potoo
The Great Potoo’s camouflage is so effective that this nocturnal neotropical bird can sleep while perched out in the openduring daylight hours. Yes, this potoo is probably asleep.But when it’s tough to tell where the bark ends and bird begins, predators tend to miss you. Don't be deceived by this image, though: When awake, these birdsinto big-mouthed, bug-eyed muppets, securingtheir birb status.
Willow Ptarmigan
The Willow Ptarmigan lives across the northern hemisphere's upper reaches, from Mongolia toFinland on toCanada and Alaska, where it is the state bird. This tundra grouse takes on two different camo patterns during the year: marbled brown or gray during summer, and starkwhite during winter, when only thebird's black eyes and beak stand out from the snow.Fun fact: In winter, these birds also grow built-in snowshoes.
Rose-ringed Parakeet
There’s a bird somewhere in this photo. You may just have to take a minute to find it. Rose-ringed Parakeets originally hail from the verdant landscapes of southern Asia and central Africa, but since escapingas pets, they haveestablished feral colonies in places like the UK and. Wherever they wind up, the Rose-ringed Parakeet’s lime-green plumage makesthem toughto spot in any leafy tree.
Brown Creeper
Althoughthese birds are constantly on the move, Brown Creepers so perfectly match the bark they meticously scour for bugs that even perceptive birders can easily miss them. From their deceptivefeathersto their long, hookedbeaks and strong feet, everything about these small birds has evolved for a lifeclinging to the sides of trees.And when it's time to build a nest, they simplytuck theirsbehind a loose piece of bark.
American Bittern
Bitterns are notoriously elusive, hiding deep indense, marshy habitats. As such, they've evolved aesthetic and behavioral forms ofcamouflage. This American Bittern is showing off bothas it extends itsheadupward while revealing neck and breast stripes that mimicthe surrounding reeds. Adding to the ruse, the birds will sway with the breeze or remain completelymotionless, making them all but invisible. Their odd call, however, gives them away.
Piping Plover
These cutekhaki-colored birds can be found onshores throughout thenortheastern U.S. and Canada. As with other shorebirds, Piping Plovers feature muted colors suited to their sandybeachenvironment. Unfortunately, camo hasn'tprotected these birds from habitat loss.In 1986, there were on the Atlantic coast, butthanks to conservation efforts, the birds hit a new.
Western Screech-Owl
Like most owls, the Western Screech-Owl is nocturnal, which is why this one is sleeping snugly in atree cavity during daylight hours. Most often these cavities areholes carved out and left behind by woodpeckers, but they aren't always limited to trees; telephone poles and cactuses can also provide nestngspace for Western Screech-Owls. Clearly, though, bark is where thethe bird's perfectlymottled plumage works best.
European Goldfinch
Before you think, What camouflage?, note that this photo containstwo European Goldfinches. Look toward the bottom right, where the bright red facial feathers of the malepeek through the thistle. Found throughout woodlands and open fields in Europe and parts of the Middle East, these goldfinchesprefer tofeast on thistle seeds—so much so that splotches ofbrown and pink help the birds blend into the bush.
Common Eider
Hunkered down in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, thisfemale Common Eider blends in with the coastal grasses anddirt surrounding hernest. While females sportbrown, striped plumage to remain discreet,males have a bold, contrastingcoat of white and black during breeding season to attract mates. Eider down is knownfor its warmth, and asseen above, the birds use lots of it to keep theirnestwarm.
American Kestrel
Slightly bigger than a Blue Jay, the American Kestrel is the smallest of North America'sfalcons. It's also seeingtroublingdeclines. Looking painted on,their markings serve multiplepurposes, helping them to blend into their nesting cavities, as above, or while hunting inopen fields,where they sometimes remain on the same perch for hours. Kestrelprey includes everything from small birds to amphibians and insects.
EurasianWoodcock
Woodcocks may look odd, but their strangeproportions serve a distinct purpose: Thoselong beaks allow them to probe the ground for earthworms and small insects, andtheir big, set-back eyes let them spotpotential predators while foraging. American andEurasian Woodcocks, like this one above, both wearmottled plumages of varying shades ofbrown that help them seemingly vanish against the leaf-littered forest floor.
Sandgrouse
Native to dry, desertous parts of Asia and Africa, the sandgrouse is as close as birds get to being like camels—males canretainwater for their chicks in their belly feathers. To access the liquid, the chicks use their beaks to wringout his plumage. Eventually this chick will have the striated pattern of its parents, but at first,sandgrouse chicks are born with a quilt-like camouflage that helps them blend in with the rocky ground.
Great Bittern
Like its American Cousin, the Great Bittern spends much of its life in reedy marshland throughout most of Europe. Stealthy birds that mostly appear at dawn and dusk, they also share similar tactics for hidingas the American Bittern. Theircall, though, is —think the sound one makes when blowing into a glass bottle, but amplified and booming. Yeah, something like that.
Great Horned Owl
Feasting on small rodents, snakes, skunks—anything small and weak enough to kill, really—the Great Horned Owl is not a picky eater. These hunting abilities have earned it thenicknamethe“tiger owl."And like that prolificpredator, the Great Horned Owl's camouflage is incredibly effective. Sometimes,though, the raptor can get a littletoo eagerandtry to nab a porcupine, only for the attempt to end disastrously for both.
Kākāpō
Everyone's favorite flightless parrot,the ō'sgreen plumage helps it survive onNew Zealand'slush forest floors. But when British colonizers brought over invasive species like ferrets, stoats, and cats in the 19th century, the chunky birdhardly stood a chance. Fortunately, thanks to the help of the , the birds saw theirin2019, and the wild population now totals 213 birds.
Common Pauraque
Found fromsouthern Texas to southern South America, Common Pauraques are members of the nightjar family, along with whip-poor-wills and Chuck-will's-widows. All these birds are nocturnal, so during the day, they restmotionless amid brush on the ground or the branch of a tree, where their complexcamouflagemakes them virtually impossible to find.