This is bird note.

With birds coming in all the bright colors of the rainbow,

why are blackbirds black?

One possible answer is that black is conspicuous against just about all of nature's backgrounds.

So if a bird wants to be seen, black isn't a bad color to be.

But why would a blackbird want to be seen?

Perhaps it's because many blackbirds are flocking birds.

These brewers blackbirds wander around the countryside in flocks after the breeding season.

They feed on the ground, and whenever a predator approaches, members of the flock sound the alarm and take flight.

Being black allows them to see each other clearly.

This quick recognition, in turn, enables them to come together quickly in a dense mass,

which may confuse the predator and thwart its attempts to catch one of the birds.

Forming large groups seems to be an integral part of the life of most species of blackbirds,

from cowbirds to grackles to life of most species of blackbirds,

from cowbirds to grackles to these red-winged blackbirds we're hearing.

And Mother Nature's painting them black helps them gather together in self-protective flocks.

For Bird Note, I'm Mary McCann.