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Why birds' eyes can be blue, green, pink or orange

Among birds, eyes come in all sorts of colours – and it seems that this helps them compete for mating opportunities and intimidate rivals

By Sofia Quaglia

20 October 2023

Male Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)

The male satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) has brightly coloured eyes

H Lansdown/Alamy

While birds often have vibrant plumage, the dazzling diversity in the colour of their eyes might be just as important for their survival and reproductive success, according to on the topic.

Many . The black-and-red-broadbill (Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos), for instance, has sapphire blue or vivid emerald eyes. The Satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) has irises of periwinkle and purple. Some species of green pigeon (in the genus Treron) have magenta peepers and the bank cormorant (Phalacrocorax neglectus) sports…

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