[Posted by Chuck Almdale, submitted by Lillian Johnson]

BBC Discover Wildlife has interesting articles, great photos and short films, and it’s all free. It is, however, getting a little tricky to navigate through their advertising. In this one, ignore everything in the right sidebar, and everything everywhere about “viewing,” “continuing,” and “converting.” Just scroll down to read and see. There are three short films/soundscapes: Violet-backed Starling, Violet (Purple) Sea Slug, Imperial Amazon. I can think of a few more violet-named birds that didn’t make the cut, and one of them nests in the SoCal mountains. How many can you think of?

Purple is nature’s rarest colour but purple animals do exist: 9 beautiful, incredible purple animals that look like they’ve been painted

On land and in the sea and sky you can find animals that display a dazzling array of rainbow colors. Bright fur, feathers, skin and scales serve to attract mates, scare off predators or blend into tropical habitats. However, there is a shade that’s not seen as much as you might think – and that’s purple.
By Charlie Lyon, 15 October 2026