Boat-tailed Grackle in Willow Tree - Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida
Boat-tailed Grackle in Willow Tree - Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida

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Caption   The wings of a Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) shimmer in iridescent hues of blue, violet, and teal. The grackle's flashy plumage is an example of structural coloration - color that arises, not from the absorption of light by pigments, but rather from the interaction between light and nanoscale structures, resulting in diffraction, scattering, and interference. This grackle was perched in a willow tree in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, near Gainesville, Florida.
Photo Id   w0406-8e1d-1d9d9
Date and Time   April 3, 2010   5:07 PM
Location   Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida
latitude 29° 34' 9.6" N       longitude 82° 19' 4.8" W
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