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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Which birds are drab and which dazzle? Predators have a say

An analysis of almost 10,000 species identifies the life-history traits that explain why some birds flaunt a rainbow of ornamental colours.
Lilac-breasted Roller taking flight against clear blue sky - Kruger National Park.

If you’ve got it, flaunt it: the lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudatus) of southern and eastern Africa. Credit: Getty

Why are birds the colours they are? Parents of curious children aren’t the only ones stumped by that question; many scientists have also struggled to find an answer.

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Nature 620, 701 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02574-w

References

  1. Delhey, K., Valcu, M., Muck, C., Dale, J. & Kempenaers, B. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA. 120, e2217692120 (2023).

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