Mosaic Evolution Generates Patches Of Vivid Colors In The Lories

How to balance the evolutionary demands between being extremely colorful and attractive to potential mates whilst also being camouflaged from predators?

The rainbow lorikeet, Trichoglossus moluccanus, is a nectar-feeding species of parrot found in Australia. It is common along the eastern seaboard, from northern Queensland to South Australia. Its habitat is rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas. (CC0 / Public domain.)

Lories and lorikeets are a group of small- to medium-sized nectar-feeding parrots comprising more than 100 species. They are native to New Guinea, eastern Indonesia, Australia, and many of the archipelagos within Oceania. These parrots are cloaked in a truly dazzling array of colors: ranging from vibrant lime-green and lemon yellow to sunset orange and eye-watering scarlet to vibrant blue and iridescent black — and even including colors that humans cannot see. Which raises the question: how do these parrots manage to be so astoundingly colorful without becoming lunch for a hungry predator?