Pink/Red colouration of legs and bill ofPiedOystercatchers

["Greg" <>]

While the 'brains trust' is thinking about red-legged Oystercatchers and 
Black-winged Stilts (although the stilt's legs are really pink) give some 
thought to the Black-necked Stork, which also has bright red legs.
As far as the suggestion that the brightness of the legs could indicate the 
health of the bird and therefore its suitability as a mate the following 
should be noted:
the brightness or redness of the legs changes noticably with the angle of 
light:
mating and contact displays are carried out in a manner that the legs would 
be mostly obscured from view;
during hot weather storks sometimes chalk their legs by defaecating over 
them making them quite pale.
It is interesting that oystercatchers are black or black and white and 
Black-necked Storks and Black-winged Stilts are Black and White.   The White 
Stork, which is also black and white, has both a black billed and a 
red-billed race.  Some other stork species have red or reddish legs.
Is there a pattern here?

Regards

Greg Clancy