BIRDS face a colourful dilemma. Should they bow to the pressure of natural selection and sport dowdy camouflage feathers to avoid predators? Or succumb to sexual selection and wear bright hues that will attract a mate?
A study of 40 bird species in the jungle of French Guiana has revealed the answer. Generally speaking, it’s better to blend in than show off.
Doris Gomez and Marc Théry of the Natural History Museum in Brunoy, France, point out that there is a large variation in background colours and light quality in rainforests. So plumage colours that appear showy in the bright…
