Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the colouration of parrots in an evolutionary context utilising novel metrics for the quantification of colour pattern. Previously, the study of animal colouration has been limited by its inability to produce statistically robust and objective measures of pattern. We propose the use of image correlograms, a method adapted from the field of computer science where it is used in the indexing and retrieval of images for search engines, in order to evaluate the whole colour pattern of parrot species as taken from field guides. This is the largest study of parrot colouration in terms of number of species included in the study (403) and includes the ancestral reconstruction of the original parrot’s colouration as well as how colouration has changed over time. Finally, the information gained on the parrots’ colouration is applied to an issue of pressing concern for those studying the conservation of parrots, how differences in colour pattern relates to conservation status.