A new female-like morph of juvenile male Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes) – sexual mimicry to avoid intra-specific predation?
In migrant Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes) at Eilat, Israel, we noted that juvenile males had two different morphs – the one described to date in literature; and a second, previously undescribed morph, with femalelike barring on the chest and flanks interspersed with tear-shaped elongated sp...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sciendo
2015-12-01
|
| Series: | European Journal of Ecology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/eje.2015.1.issue-1/eje-2015-0008/eje-2015-0008.xml?format=INT |
| Summary: | In migrant Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes) at Eilat, Israel, we noted that juvenile males had two different
morphs – the one described to date in literature; and a second, previously undescribed morph, with femalelike
barring on the chest and flanks interspersed with tear-shaped elongated spots, giving an overall female-like
appearance. Here we forward the hypothesis that explain the evolutionary consequences for the female-like
plumage of juvenile males as that of intra-specific sex mimicry developed to avoid intra-specific predation by
the larger females. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1339-8474 |