Frank Götmark & Geoffrey E. Hill

Götmark, F. & Hill, G.E. 1999. Bird colouration: Mechanisms, functions and evolution. In: Adams, N.J. & Slotow, R.H. (eds) Proc. 22 Int. Ornithol. Congr., Durban: 1632. Johannesburg: BirdLife South Africa.

The plumages of birds present a dazzling array of colouration, contrast, and pattern. Over one hundred years ago, Darwin and Wallace discussed at length hypotheses for the evolution of ornately coloured plumage; many of these functional hypotheses have only recently been rediscovered and tested as the evolution of plumage colouration has again become an area of active research. In the early to mid part of this century, most studies of plumage colouration focused on its physical and biochemical nature. Despite the general perception that the proximate basis of bird colouration is well understood, many gaps in our knowledge remain, and these gaps have become more obvious as we strive toward a comprehensive understanding of plumage colouration. In this symposium, participants will consider both the proximate basis for various colour displays and the function and evolution of plumage colouration. We will review the function of male colouration in a reproductive context, which has been the focus of most studies, but we will also discuss ideas on how plumage colouration may function outside the breeding context in social interactions, in predator-prey interactions, and in parent-offspring communication. Finally, we will review comparative studies that are providing new opportunities for studying the environmental and social conditions that lead to more or less elaborate plumage colouration.