guide on how to describe colour of bird (2 Viewers)

[earlytorise]

I still find this to be a challenge.

I'd be looking at a rare bird and trying to describe its colour to myself. 'What shade of brown is that? Olive-y? Greyish? Slightly olive-y but slightly warmer than blah blah blah...? I just can't make my mind up... Maybe if I run through some sample birds in my mind... Oh it would be easier if I had a side-by-side comparison with Oriental Reed Warbler, but I can't stare at my phone given that the bird is in front of me... I hesitate to take my camera out because I need time to study it with binoculars...'

I can't find a document online about colour-determination of birds.

Any tips or references would be welcome. Cheers!

 

[01101001]

Wikipedia has some nice samples and photos of objects of a given colour, birds included. See, for example: Turquoise (color) - Wikipedia or Vermilion - Wikipedia.
I think that--at least in the Western Palearctic--earth tones are among the most useful (buff, tan, tawny, fawn, rufous, russet, ...). I do get the impression that the same colour on two different objects tends to be called differently to uphold a traditional distinction rather than because it really differs. You can check the description of any given species in the internet (as in eBird) to learn which particular name is used most frequently. I used to make a point of upholding these fine distinctions, but now--for instance--I would just most probably write 'light yellowish brown' instead.

 

[01101001]

... and now--as a bonus--please have a look at some common pitfalls regarding colour description.


Wader near Warsaw, Poland (August 2021); description only

 

[lockbreeze926]

It's definitely a challenge.

Just look at all the terms used to describe various sorts of reddy-brown - rufous, rufescent, ochraceous, fulvous, red [it's NEVER actually red], ruddy, ferruginous, cinnamon, russet, tawny and so on.

And don't get me started on flavescent, icterine, vineaceous....

 

[Farnboro John]

It's definitely a challenge.

Just look at all the terms used to describe various sorts of reddy-brown - rufous, rufescent, ochraceous, fulvous, red [it's NEVER actually red], ruddy, ferruginous, cinnamon, russet, tawny and so on.

And don't get me started on flavescent, icterine, vineaceous....

Let's go isabelline, that should kipper it.

John

 

[jurek]

For the sake of utility, it is best to stick to few base colors and avoid colors which are not well known and understood differently by different people or different places: for example 'bright red' is better than 'vermillion'. Rich and beautiful language is drawback in a social circle composed mostly of men, and from different cultures.

Especially ambiguous is the color purple which I seen used for very different colors: fox red (Purple Heron), dark red (Purple Finch), red-violet, violet (Purple Grenadier from Africa) to dark blue (Purple Martin).

 

[Brian J Small]

When I do museum studies I use Rigway's colour chart - a book.

However, there is an online version of the colours and names - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Color Standards and Color Nomenclature, by Robert Ridgway

There is an online copy of the book - Color standards and color nomenclature - but the colours are not as pure. You will like the names, e.g. 'deep dull bluish violet'.

Brian

 

[Paul Chapman]

When I do museum studies I use Rigway's colour chart - a book.

However, there is an online version of the colours and names - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Color Standards and Color Nomenclature, by Robert Ridgway

There is an online copy of the book - Color standards and color nomenclature - but the colours are not as pure. You will like the names, e.g. 'deep dull bluish violet'.

Brian

This would have been useful information before I described my wife's wedding dress as beige. It was 27 years ago. It was mentioned again at Christmas.