Robin's Coloration

A pair of robins built their nest outside our garage in the crotch of a small fruit tree. It's only about five feet off the ground.

The powder blue eggs hatched about a week ago and now the fledglings are being fed nearly constantly and growing rapidly.

When the eggs were being incubated several weeks ago, the tree was in full flower with a heavy coat of white blossoms that were quite odiferous. They are all gone now, having turned a burnt orange that matches the robin's famous breast nearly perfectly. Moreover, the gray of the bird's feathers blends well with the tree's bark.

After making this camouflage connection, I've looked at other flowering trees and most have blossoms that turn a hue of orange--like the robin's breast--when they perish.

It's a cool adaptation.