An Analysis of Physical, Physiological, and Optical Aspects of Avian Coloration with Emphasis on Wood-Warblers
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(ISBN: 0-943610-47-8) AN ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND OPTICAL ASPECTS OF AVIAN COLORATION WITH EMPHASIS ON WOOD-WARBLERS BY EDWARD H. BURTT, JR. Department of Zoology Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, Ohio 43015 ORNITHOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS NO. 38 PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION WASHINGTON, D.C. 1986 AN ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND OPTICAL ASPECTS OF AVIAN COLORATION WITH EMPHASIS ON WOOD-WARBLERS ORNITHOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS This series,published by the American Ornithologists' Union, has been estab- lished for major papers too long for inclusion in the Union's journal, The Auk. Publication has been made possiblethrough the generosityof the late Mrs. Carl Tucker and the Marcia Brady Tucker Foundation, Inc. Correspondenceconcerning manuscripts for publication in the seriesshould be addressedto the Editor, Dr. David W. Johnston,Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030. Copies of Ornithological Monographs may be ordered from the Assistant to the Treasurer of the AOU, Frank R. Moore, Department of Biology, University of Southern Mississippi, Southern Station Box 5018, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406. (See price list on back and inside back covers.) Ornithological Monographs, No. 38, x + 126 pp. Editors of OrnithologicalMonographs, David W. Johnstonand Mercedes S. Foster Special Reviewers for this issue, Sievert A. Rohwer, Department of Zo- ology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; William J. Hamilton III, Division of Environmental Studies, University of Cal- ifornia, Davis, California Author, Edward H. Burtt, Jr., Department of Zoology, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio 43015 First received, 24 October 1982; accepted 11 March 1983; final revision completed 9 April 1985 Issued May 1, 1986 Price $15.00 prepaid ($12.50 to AOU members). Library of CongressCatalogue Card Number 86-70917 Printed by the Allen Press,Inc., Lawrence,Kansas 66044 Copyright ¸ by the American Ornithologists'Union, 1986 ISBN: 0-943610-47-8 AN ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND OPTICAL ASPECTS OF AVIAN COLORATION WITH EMPHASIS ON WOOD-WARBLERS BY EDWARD H. BURTT, JR. Department of Zoology Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, Ohio 43015 ORNITHOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS NO. 38 PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION WASHINGTON, D.C. 1986 iii To my parents who continue to provide enthusiastic encouragement and to Charlotte and Charles Smith who sparked my fascination in all things avian iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ..............................................................................................................................................................vii LIST OF APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................................ix LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1: STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ..................................................................1 COLORS .......................................................................................................................................................................................1 PHYSICAL HYPOTHESES ...........................................................................................................................................1 VISUAL HYPOTHESES ..................................................................................................................................................2 OPTICAL HYPOTHESES ..............................................................................................................................................2 MEASUREMENT OF ADAPTIVE SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................................2 COMPARATIVE METHOD .........................................................................................................................................3 WHY WOOD-WARBLERS? .......................................................................................................................................4 CHAPTER 2: COLORATION OF WOOD-WARBLERS ...............................................5 TOPOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................................................5 COLORATION ........................................................................................................................................................................5 Reflectance spectra of plumage colors ................................................................................5 Frequency and distribution of plumage colors ........................................................8 Reflectance spectraof legs and bills ......................................................................................10 Frequency and distribution of color of legs and bills .....................................11 COLOR VARIATION OF THE LEGS ................................................................................................................14 CHAPTER 3: DURABILITY .................................................................................................................................17 HOW NATURAL IS EXPERIMENTAL ABRASION? .........................................................................18 Methods ......................................................................................................................................................................18 Comparison ............................................................................................................................................................18 EXPERIMENTAL ABRASION OF WOOD-WARBLER FEATHERS .......................................18 Methods ......................................................................................................................................................................20 Results ...........................................................................................................................................................................21 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................21 ABRASION BY AIRBORNE PARTICLES ......................................................................................................23 PREDICTIONS BASED ON VELOCITY OF PARTICLES ................................................................24 Dorsal color ............................................................................................................................................................24 Rectrix color ..........................................................................................................................................................24 Remex color ..........................................................................................................................................................25 PARTICULATE ABRASION OF PERCHED BIRDS .............................................................................25 OBSERVED TOPOGRAPHY OF ABRASION-RESISTANT COLORS ....................................26 PREDICTIONS BASED ON NUMBER AND SIZE OF PARTICLES .......................................31 HABITAT DIFFERENCES IN THE NUMBER OF SPECIES WITH DIFFERENT PROPORTIONS OF MELANIC PLUMAGE ....................................................................................31 PREDICTIONS BASED ON RESISTANCE TO FRICTION .............................................................35 OBSERVED COLOR TOPOGRAPHY IN RESPONSE TO FRICTION ..................................36 CONCLUSIONS REGARDING DURABILITY ...........................................................................................36 CHAPTER 4: COLOR AND ENERGY BALANCE ...............................................................38 ENERGYBALANCE: A GENERALEQUATION ..................................................................................39 ENERGY BALANCE IN THE LEGS OF WOOD-WARBLERS ....................................................40 MEASUREMENT OF THERMODYNAMIC VARIABLES .................................................................41 Mean solar absorptivity .__..:................................................................................................................... 41 Incident sunlight ..............................................................................................................................................42 Thermal absorptivity .................................................................................................................................42 Equilibrium-temperature ......................................................................................................................43 Evaporative energy loss ..........................................................................................................................45 Convective energy loss: postural changes....................................................................... 46 Convective energy loss: diameter of the legs .............................................................47 AIR TEMPERATURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF WOOD-WARBLERS ..............................49 Migratory patterns .........................................................................................................................................49