Gorget (bird)

Like many hummingbirds, the male Costa's Hummingbird has an iridescent gorget.

A gorget is a patch of colored feathers found on the throat or upper breast of some species of birds.^[1] It is a feature found on many male hummingbirds, particularly those found in North America; these gorgets are typically iridescent.^[2] Other species, such as the Purple-throated Fruitcrow^[3] and Chukar Partridge, also show the feature.^[4] The term is derived from the gorget used in military armor to protect the throat.

Feather wear and exposure to the sun can produce changes in the apparent color of iridescent gorget feathers. For example, fresh gorget feathers on the Anna's Hummingbird are rose red; these fade to a coppery bronzy color with age.^[5]

Functions

A number of social functions have been suggested for the gorget. It may aid in mate attraction or in resource defense. It may signal social status or allow species to identify conspecifics.^[6] Among hummingbirds, gorgets are typically found only on males. In the rare instances where they are found on females, they appear to serve primarily for signaling threats.^[7]

Young hummingbirds, which need to intrude on adult territories to feed once they have fledged, all lack gorgets. This may help to make them less visible or less threatening to adult birds.^[8]

References

1. ^ Campbell, Bruce; Lack, Elizabeth, eds (1985). A Dictionary of Birds. Calton, Staffs, England: T & A D Poyser. p. 254. ISBN 0-85661-039-9. 
2. ^ Howell, Steve N. G. (2002). Hummingbirds of North America: The Photographic Guide. Academic Press. p. 1. ISBN 0-12-356955-9. 
3. ^ Ridgely, Robert S.; Tudor, Guy; Brown, William L. (1994). The Birds of South America: The suboscine passerines. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. p. 771. ISBN 0-292-77063-4. 
4. ^ Christensen, Glen C. (1970). The Chukar Partridge: Its Introduction, Life History and Management. Reno, NV: Nevada Department of Fish and Game. p. 33. 
5. ^ Williamson, Sheri (2001). A Field Guide to the Hummingbirds of North America. New York: Houghton Mifflin. p. 30. ISBN 0-618-02496-4. 
6. ^ Topoff, Howard R., ed (1987). The Natural History Reader in Animal Behavior. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 151. ISBN 0-231-06159-5. 
7. ^ Fjeldså, Jon. Birds of the High Andes. Copenhagen: Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen. p. 241. ISBN 87-88757-16-1. 
8. ^ Power, Dennis M., ed (1989). Current Ornithology, volume 6. New York: Springer. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-306-43056-5. 

This animal anatomy-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Bird terminology Bird stubs Animal anatomy stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР Gorges family Gorgeted Wood Quail Look at other dictionaries: Gorget — For the feathers, see gorget (bird). The gorget shown in this 1772 portrait of Colonel George Washington by Charles Willson Peale, worn as part of Washington s uniform in the French and Indian War to symbolize his commission as an officer in the… …   Wikipedia Gorget — Gor get, n. [OF. gorgete, dim. of gorge throat. See {Gorge}, n.] 1. A piece of armor, whether of chain mail or of plate, defending the throat and upper part of the breast, and forming a part of the double breastplate of the 14th century. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English Gorget hummer — Gorget Gor get, n. [OF. gorgete, dim. of gorge throat. See {Gorge}, n.] 1. A piece of armor, whether of chain mail or of plate, defending the throat and upper part of the breast, and forming a part of the double breastplate of the 14th century.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English gorget — [gôr′jit] n. [ME < OFr gorgete < gorgiere: see GORGEOUS] 1. a piece of armor to protect the throat: see ARMOR 2. a collar 3. an article of clothing covering the neck and breast, formerly worn by women; wimple 4. a patch of color, often… …   English World dictionary Gorget (birds) — A Gorget (birds) is the colored throat patch in the birds, named after the gorget. It is common in the hummingbirds, and especially the male hummingbird. Other birds, for example the Purple throated Fruitcrow have a gorget.ee also*Gorget… …   Wikipedia bird — I (Roget s IV) n. 1. [Any warm blooded vertebrate with feathers and wings] Syn. fowl, feathered creature, Avis (Latin), songbird, passerine bird, oscine bird, bird of prey, raptor, shorebird, seabird, wader, wading bird, waterfowl, ratite,… …   English dictionary for students gorget — gorgeted, adj. /gawr jit/, n. 1. a patch on the throat of a bird or other animal, distinguished by its color, texture, etc. 2. a piece of armor for the throat. See diag. under armor. 3. a crescent shaped ornament worn on a chain around the neck… …   Universalium gorget — n. armor that protects the throat area; ornamental collar; patch of color on a bird s neck …   English contemporary dictionary gorget — [ gɔ:dʒɪt] noun 1》 historical an article of clothing or piece of armour covering the throat.     ↘a wimple. 2》 a patch of colour on the throat of a bird or other animal. Origin ME: from OFr. gorgete, from gorge (see gorge) …   English new terms dictionary gorget — gor•get [[t]ˈgɔr dʒɪt[/t]] n. 1) orn a patch on the throat of a bird or other animal, distinguished by its color, texture, etc 2) her a piece of armor for the throat 3) clo a medieval wimple, worn with the ends fastened in the hair 4) clo any of… …   From formal English to slang 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”