Blending In You must travel to a colorful place to see


the next colorful animal. You’re looking for macaws in South America. Macaws are large birds in the parrot family.


Even though their feathers are bright, they might be hard to spot. T at’s because the rain forest itself is full of amazing colors. T e birds’ feathers are camouflage. Lush, green trees tower over you. Long,


thick vines drape down from branches. Here, flowers speckle the forest floor. Orchids and passionflowers are everywhere. T ey are pink, orange, red, and yellow. Colorful fruit hang from many trees. Oranges, lemons, mangoes, and bananas all grow here.


Hiding Out You hear the macaws before you see them.


T eir loud calls, squawks, and screams echo through the forest. T en a blur of color swoops past you. It’s a macaw. She lands on a high branch of a tree. T e tree is filled with flowers. As she flies overhead, you can see that this


macaw’s head and shoulders are light green. She has a band of yellow feathers. Her wings are tipped with blue feathers. Her long tail feathers are red and yellow. Even her face and beak are brightly colored. Yet once she lands, she seems to disappear.


Suddenly, this bird is hidden by the green leaves and colorful flowers of the tree. Her colors in this habitat help her hide from predators, like jaguars. You can barely see her, even though you know she’s there. When she flies again, her wings open wide.


T e macaw soars higher. She is headed to her nest. It’s tucked up in a tree near the top of the rain forest. T is is the safest place for her eggs. Harpy eagles, monkeys, and snakes all


would eat her eggs if they found them. Her brown nest blends in with the bark of the tree. Leaves hang down to hide the nest even more. She reaches the nest and settles in. Now, she and her eggs cannot be seen.


6 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


In Plain Sight Put on your scuba suit for your next brush with


color. You’re going on a night dive off the coast of Australia. T ere’s a full moon tonight. T at will help you search for the dumpling squid. T e ocean is dark, and this squid is small. Yet that’s not what makes it hard to see. Believe it or not, it uses color to hide. T e dumpling squid needs to hide. It faces


predators from above and below. Above, a lionfish scans the water, looking for something to eat. A dumpling squid is one of its favorite kinds of prey. In the sea grasses below, a large flathead fish goes hunting. T e squid needs to eat, too. How can the squid hunt and avoid becoming dinner to one of these creatures? T e answer lies in bacteria. Bacteria are tiny


creatures. T ey live inside the squid’s stomach. T ey give off light. T ey make the squid’s belly seem to glow. From above, the squid’s dark back blends


in with the dark ocean floor. Looking down, the lionfish can’t see it. From below, the squid’s belly glows. It matches the color of the moonlit sky. T e flathead, looking up, doesn’t see it. For now, the squid is safe.


This dumpling squid hides from predators.


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