Can you spot the bird in this picture? If not, evolution is not to blame

If you struggled to spot the bird in the picture above you may think you are witnessing a cunning example of evolutionary deception.

But, in fact, animals that rely on camouflage are so tricky to spot, not because they are superbly matched to their environment, but because they actively seek out spots which are most like themselves.

It’s the equivalent of person in green wooly jumper and brown trousers choosing to sit in a tree, rather than on the park bench below.

Scientists at Exeter and Cambridge Universities looked at nine remarkable hard-to-see ground nesting birds to try and tease out the success of their concealment strategy.

They found that individual birds adjust their nest position based on their own specific patterns and colours.

“Each individual bird looks a little bit different, and we have shown that they can act individually,” said project co-leader Professor Martin Stevens, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

“This is not a species-level choice.

“Individual birds consistently sit in places that enhance their own unique markings, both within a habitat, and at a fine scale with regards to specific background sites.”

The study, carried out in Zambia, showed that individual birds chose backgrounds that enhanced their camouflage to their main predators.

The researchers say it is not yet clear how individuals choose places to suit their appearance.

“It could be that somehow they ‘know’ what they look like and act accordingly,” added Professor Stevens.

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