Eye-ring
The eye-ring of a bird is a ring of tiny feathers that surrounds the orbital ring,[5] a ring of bare skin immediately surrounding a bird's eye.[5][6] The eye-ring is often decorative, and its colour may contrast with adjoining plumage.[4] The ring of feathers is sometimes incomplete, forming an eye arc. In the absence of a conspicuous eye-ring, the orbital ring of a bird is often referred to as the eye-ring.[4][7][8][9] The bare orbital ring may be hardened or fleshy, or may form an eye-wattle. These are useful field marks in many bird species,[8][10] and the eye-ringed flatbill, eye-ringed tody-tyrant and eye-ringed thistletail are examples of species named for either of these.
Function
Eye-rings are believed to convey various types of signals between individual birds. Some eye-rings appear only at sexual maturity, while others suggest the individual's age or health status. Individual birds may be included or excluded from reproductive capability due to signals conveyed by the eye-ring. Red carotenoid-based colors of the orbital rings of pheasants are known to be related to health.[11]
The function of the white eye-rings in
Gallery
-
Robin-chat species, with a double ring of small feathers about the eye
-
Eye arcs above and below the eye of a male MacGillivray's warbler
-
Pratincolewith a complete dark orbital ring but partially contrasting white eye-ring
-
Bright yellow orbital ring in a lesser white-fronted goose
-
A male blackbird with distinct yellow orbital ring
See also
- Glossary of bird terms
- Iris
- List of terms used in bird topography
- Sclerotic eye-ring
References
- ISBN 9781408152461.
- ^ "Australian yellow white-eye (Zosterops luteus)". arkive.org. Archived from the original on 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- ISBN 9781408138380.
- ^ ISBN 9781770092419.
- ^ ISBN 9781408189023.
- ISBN 9781408130353.
- ^ Mayntz, Melissa (2017-02-22). "Lores". The Spruce. Archived from the original on 2022-08-19. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
- ^ ISBN 0691010226.
- ^ Kamm, Matthew; Kuss, Benjamin. "Glossary". Common Birds of New England, an electronic field guide. Brandeis University. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ Birdsley, Jeff. "IB 461: Ornithology, External Anatomy" (PDF). School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ a b Filardi, Chris. "Answering Questions About Island Species". Scientist at Work. Retrieved 2 March 2017.