#oh but u give me red vibes. i cannto explain why. so maybe a red winged black bird. ur kinda a black bird energy too.

[birdyverdie]

continuing our birb discussion... i wanted to ask, are there any real purple birbs?

(no pressure to answer!)

Mmmmm it's 4am rn bcuz I'm a bit of a fool and was drawing my Dungeons and Dragons Owlin character sooo beware my rambling and nonsense ahah ;;

Anyways! There are so many purple birds out there, it's very lovely. However you said "real" purple birds and I may be overthinking this cuz it's late but it reminded me about how blue isn't a real color on birds because there's nothing in a bird's diet that allows for that sort of blue pigmentation. Yknow how bell peppers can be like...red and yellow? Yeah it's cuz they have some antioxidants called carotenoids that create the red/yellow/orange pigmentation. (Pink flamingos are pink cuz shrimp...what would blue birds eat to make them blue? There's really not a blue fruit out there. Don't say blueberries.) And the answer researchers found out for blue on birds feathers is cuz of light wavelength.

Protein structure specifically keratin in their feathers (stuff ur nails and hair is made up of!) kinda refract the blue wavelengths and since all color we see are the colors that aren't absorbed...well. blue!

But for purple--and this is a guess cuz im pulling this out from what i remember of my nutrition class--purple may be their true color. Cuz carotenoids can also mix and match structurally and allow for some green and off kilter blue pigmentation to occur. And yknow. Blue and red = purple.

So. Maybe purple birds. Will do research later. But there are many. Many lovely ones that we can actually see. For example, and my favorite cuz I participated in a volunteer opportunity for these guys:

Purple Martins! What lovely guys, they flock in the hundreds. Seeing these guys pass by overhead was so cool. Ok maybe they're a bit more indigo but they're adorable regardless.

Though if you want a very very vibrant purple.

Violet-backed Starlings. What a banger bird. This bird just knew how to win in the fashion show. This tone of purple with white? Urgh. Slaps. Iridescent too.. lovely.

You're a corvid enjoyer. I think you'll get a kick outta this guy.

Purplish Jay! No I'm not kidding about the name. It's kinda funny cuz it's like hmmm you're not really purple but still purple enough sjjshaha silly!! I love human naming conventions

I know there's a bunch of hummingbirds that have purple feathers I wonder why. Oh flowers. Flowers maybe?? Nectar?? *shrugging noises*

Anyways, personal favorite of the hummingbirds

Lucifer hummingbirds! Have no clue why they named such a tiny lil guy with such a name but humans are silly. Just like birds. I wish there was carcinisation but for birds. Ornithonisation?

Ok I'm not making sense anymore here's the names of other purple birds off the top of my head:

violet-crowned hummingbird.

Purple breasted cotinga. (Cotingas are such goofy birds).

Purple honeycreeper (what a name. Imagine creeping on honey i dont think they even eat honey, just flower nectar.)

Purple Grenadier (finches beloved)

And I forgot the name but it's a Turaco

Anyways good night!! I love chattering about birds