POTD 5/7/21
SHOWY MALE - Buntings, like this male Indigo Bunting, are strongly sexually dimorphic - the males and females look different - and studies have shown this is linked to migration. More than three-quarters of migratory birds are dimorphic, while over three-quarters of sedentary species are not. With migratory birds, males arrive on the breeding grounds first and establish a territory, females come a few days later and select a mate. The most attractive males are more likely to be chosen, and more quickly, which drives evolution of more showy plumage in the males.
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© Paul Willis Photographs