Some female hummingbirds have evolved to look like males
Intriguingly, that makes mealtimes less stressful
MALE BIRDS are often colourful and ornate. These embellishments demonstrate the wearer is a suitable candidate for fatherhood and is not to be trifled with by other males. Why females are sometimes colourful too is more of a mystery.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Cross-dressing hummingbirds”
From the September 4th 2021 edition
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