When the bird comes to rest, these feathers are tucked under darker feathers, so that the bird is once again inconspicuous. Similarly, many fishes have colorful dorsal fins that are extended while the fish is swimming then folded down when the fish is at rest. In both cases, the animal can use its coloration to perform a sort of disappearing act. It can draw a predator away from a certain area, perhaps a nest of vulnerable offspring, by catching the predator's attention and moving to another location. If the predator pursues the decoy, the bird or fish can disappear by coming to rest.
Some organisms imitate the protective coloration of others.
This phenomenon is known as mimicry. A harmless animal may display the same warning coloration as a dangerous or inedible one in order to deceive predators into reacting as though the benign animal had the same defenses as its model. The intricate schemes of protective coloration are the results of long-term evolution. Through eons of adaptive changes, certain organisms have acquired patterns of coloration that have helped them survive and reproduce. Effective forms of protective coloration have been passed on to following generations.