Bird Camouflage Strategies

Natural selection has resulted in such masters of camouflage as the Whip-poor-will, which seems to disappear when sitting on the dead leaves or on a log on the forest floor. The American Bittern has vertical breast stripes and a skyward-pointing bill that blend with lines of rushes and the cattails around it. The female Willow Ptarmigan is almost invisible on its nest on the tundra; the Snowy Plover is colored in hues of gray and tan that blend with the surrounding beaches or sand dunes. Most birds that rely on camouflage are adept at "sitting close," remaining very still on a nest or at rest until just before a predator comes dangerously close, and then often flushing noisily.

Above Left: The camouflaged plumage of this Willow Ptarmigan makes the bird invisible to most predators. This bird is the state bird of Arkansas.

Above Right: When a predator approaches the nest too closely, the Willow Ptarmigan Burst off the nest in a flurry of feathers and begins a distraction display. This has the effect of startling the predator and diverting its attention away from the nest.