Birds near the equator are more colourful
- Published
A new study has found that birds living near the equator are a lot more colourful than those closer to the poles. Scientists have used artificial intelligence to work out the amount of colour in photos of over 24,000 preserved birds from the Natural History Museum's collection.
The researchers from the University of Sheffield found that tropical birds living near the equator are almost 30 percent more colourful than birds living near the poles. However, they don't really know why.
The idea that birds are more colourful as they get closer to the equator is a long-held theory. It was first suggested by Charles Darwin. He was one of the first people to popularise the theory of evolution - the scientific school of thought that says living things (including humans) change over time, in order to survive in their environment better.
All the species studied were known as 'passerine' birds, which includes perching birds such as sparrows, songbirds and finches. They were taken from the Natural History Museum collection in Tring, Hertfordshire, which has specimens of over 95 per cent of the world's living bird species.
The scientists hope that their findings will allow future researchers to pinpoint bird 'hotspots' of colour. They believe they'll be able to use the findings to become more aware of what could be lost if bird species and their habitats are not properly conserved.
- Published14 April 2020
- Published23 June 2020
