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Bowerbirds trick mates with optical illusions

Nature (2010)Cite this article

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Bowers may make males look bigger than they are.

Free from child-rearing duties, male bowerbirds devote 80% of their day to bower maintenance. Unlike the festooned nests of stickleback fish or the garnished shells of decorator crabs, bowers — grand exhibits constructed of treasures such as arranged sticks, stones, berries and bottle tops — serve only to impress.

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References

  1. Endler, J. A., Endler, L. C. & Doerr, N. R. Curr. Biol. advance online publication doi:10.1016/j.cub.2010.08.033 (2010).

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Authors
  1. Amy Maxmen
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Video courtesy of Charles Delwiche.

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John Endler

Gerald Borgia

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Maxmen, A. Bowerbirds trick mates with optical illusions. Nature (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2010.458

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2010.458

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