Wayne Meyer – Does retained juvenile-like plumage protect Painted buntings?
The Painted Bunting is one of North America’s most colorful birds. It is unusual in that males retain a female-like plumage into their second year of life, despite being able to hold territory and reproduce at that age. Although many other species of birds do this, the Painted Bunting is the smallest, and therefore shortest-lived bird to do so. Much research has sought to understand what benefit a young male might gain from looking like a female. Previously, we have shown that the female-like plumage does not reduce aggression from other males, contrary to expectations. We realized that our method made the intruder never give up, so perhaps it is not surprising that it received full aggression from territorial males. This time around we will use a method that allows the intruder to surrender. Hopefully, we will then be able to show that the female-like plumage does render some protection. Research assistants should plan on early days in the field collecting recordings of Painted Buntings and afternoons performing analysis of songs. They must expect to work alone or in pairs outdoors and be prepared for insects and other field hazards.