K1245086, "Sparrowish colorful "
Very common in The Netherlands, so common that you get used to it. They are always there, the common house sparrow. Our Portuguese Laurel Tree is a common hiding place for the house sparrow. And not just to hide in it.
This year, though, there are a remarkable number of young sparrows active around the little tree.
The yellow edge at the beginning of the sparrow's beak caught my attention, especially since the background color in this photo does match it very well.
Consulting the internet on this subject yielded the following result ( source Wikipedia of course ! ) :
In bird anatomy, the gape is the interior of the open mouth of a bird, and the gape flange is the region where the two mandibles join together at the base of the beak. The width of the gape can be a factor in the choice of food.
Gapes of juvenile altricial birds are often brightly coloured, sometimes with contrasting spots or other patterns, and these are believed to be an indication of their health, fitness and competitive ability. Based on this, the parents decide how to distribute food among the chicks in the nest. Some species, especially in the families Viduidae and Estrildidae, have bright spots on the gape known as gape tubercles or gape papillae. These nodular spots are conspicuous even in low light.
A study examining the nestling gapes of eight passerine species found that the gapes were conspicuous in the ultraviolet spectrum (visible to birds but not to humans).
Parents may, however, not rely solely on the gape coloration, and other factors influencing their decision remain unknown.]
Interesting isn't it?
Regards Rens
K1245086, "Sparrowish colorful "
Very common in The Netherlands, so common that you get used to it. They are always there, the common house sparrow. Our Portuguese Laurel Tree is a common hiding place for the house sparrow. And not just to hide in it.
This year, though, there are a remarkable number of young sparrows active around the little tree.
The yellow edge at the beginning of the sparrow's beak caught my attention, especially since the background color in this photo does match it very well.
Consulting the internet on this subject yielded the following result ( source Wikipedia of course ! ) :
In bird anatomy, the gape is the interior of the open mouth of a bird, and the gape flange is the region where the two mandibles join together at the base of the beak. The width of the gape can be a factor in the choice of food.
Gapes of juvenile altricial birds are often brightly coloured, sometimes with contrasting spots or other patterns, and these are believed to be an indication of their health, fitness and competitive ability. Based on this, the parents decide how to distribute food among the chicks in the nest. Some species, especially in the families Viduidae and Estrildidae, have bright spots on the gape known as gape tubercles or gape papillae. These nodular spots are conspicuous even in low light.
A study examining the nestling gapes of eight passerine species found that the gapes were conspicuous in the ultraviolet spectrum (visible to birds but not to humans).
Parents may, however, not rely solely on the gape coloration, and other factors influencing their decision remain unknown.]
Interesting isn't it?
Regards Rens