Blue in Nature

Nature has seemingly hacked the rainbow. Especially this time of year, we can look around us and see a variety of vibrant colours. Bright birds, butterflies and flowers in bold reds, yellows, oranges and purples. Green surrounds us as we welcome back the fullness of deciduous trees. However, if we stop to think about it, blue is a colour that we rarely get to observe in nature. Even further, certain species that we perceive as blue, do not truly carry the pigment. So, why is blue so rare in nature?

Blue Jay. Photo by Shayna Hartley

Perhaps you are thinking about Blue Jays, a common bird in Ontario. The thing is- Blue Jays are not really blue!! Most of the blue that we see or perceive, such as that of Blue Jays, is actually due to feather structure and the way that light reflects on them. When light shines on a Blue Jay all other wavelengths of the colour spectrum (a rainbow) are absorbed, and the colour we see, in this case, blue, is reflected back to our eyes!

Feather colour can be determined by pigments found in them or by the structure of the feather. For example, Cardinals red plumage is due to the presence of red pigments. Blue is a very fascinating and rare colour in nature because most animals cannot make blue pigments, often it is just the structure we are seeing and how it reflects light. How crazy! Even the bluest things you can think of- a deep blue eye, a peacock feather, a blue jay, they do not contain even a speck of blue pigment.  Producing colours structurally is how nature has hacked "making blue". Blue jays are not the only ones, any bird that we identify as blue including Indigo Buntings and Eastern Bluebirds have no blue pigment.

Indigo Bunting. Photo by Kristen Martyn 

You can actually observe this phenomenon yourself if you happen to come across the feather of a bluebird. If you backlight the feather, you will notice it appears brown. This is because the appearance of the blue completely depends on the reflection of light.

Blue continues to be one of my favourite colours and I am elated that nature has found a way to bless us with the joys of observing birds that are blue! (kind of)

Warmly, 


Heather