Birds Eye View

This past December, I was fortunate to have my first Snowy Owl sighting. Due to the recent Snowy Owl irruption, several of these stunning raptors have been spotted along the Lake Michigan shoreline of Chicago. While viewing the owl, I was captivated by the downy white feathers flecked with dark brown and the impressive wingspan, but what captured my attention most were the owls mesmerizing yellow eyes. The brilliant color resembling that of ripe lemons.

This encounter gave rise to thoughts about the various colors of avian eyes. The color portion of the eye is called the iris. Eye colors range from deep brown to metallic gold and silver, with a rainbow of colors including bright red, yellow, blue and green found within the spectrum. In several species, the color of the iris changes as the bird matures. Eye color also differs between the sexes in some.

This post features several photographs of birds which I find to have particularly interesting or beautiful eyes.

Adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons have deep orange to ruby red eyes

Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron

The stunning brilliant red eye of a male Wood Duck

The bright yellow eyes of a Green Heron stand out against the iridescent blue green facial feathers

Great Blue Herons have yellow eyes with distinctive black pupils

~ Great Blue Heron ~

Notice the filmy look of the herons eye in this image and compare it to the previous photograph of the same heron. This translucent tissue or "third eyelid" is called the nictitating membrane. It is used to protect, moisten and clean the eye.

The beautiful pastel blue eyes of a White Ibis 

Adult Ospreys have piercing yellow eyes

This Horned Grebe sports interesting scarlet red eyes and lovely breeding plumage

Adult Black-crowned Night Herons have striking blood red eyes

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons have rich yellow or amber eyes

The marble-like turquoise eyes of a Double-crested Cormorant

The warm golden eyes of male Hooded Mergansers are quite captivating

Vibrant red eyes enhance the beauty of this colorful male Cinnamon Teal

The magnetic yellow eyes of a Snowy Owl