Abstract
In dimorphic hummingbirds (Trochilidae), females exhibit variation in extent of male-like ornamentation. Female Anna’s Hummingbirds (Calypte anna) show substantial individual variation in the number of pink, male-like gorget feathers. Here, on a sample of nearly 500 female Anna’s Hummingbirds recaptured up to 11 years after banding, we show that gorget size increases substantially when the birds molt from immature into adult plumage. Thereafter, gorget size barely increased with age, meaning that age explains little of the individual variation in number of male-like feathers once a female is adult. A recent study suggested that female polymorphism is widespread in hummingbirds. We reassessed 13 species and show that, relative to adult females, the other “morphs” are actually: immature females; mis-sexed immature or adult males; products of inaccurate field-guide depictions of plumage; an invented morph; subspecific plumage variation; or the conflation of statistical bimodality with polymorphism. We conclude that, although many species of hummingbird show high variation in female plumage, true female polymorphism has only been convincingly demonstrated in perhaps three species (0.9% of hummingbirds). The most striking example is the White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora). This species appears unique in that adult, breeding females come in two morphs, one that is essentially indistinguishable from the brightly colored males, and the other that is dull and lacks iridescent feathers.
Zusammenfassung
Polymorphismus des Gefieders von Weibchen ist bei Kolibris selten
Bei dimorphen Kolibris (Trochilidae) zeigen die Weibchen unterschiedlich ausgeprägte Zeichnungen, die eigentlich nur bei Männchen vorkommen. Weibchen des Annakolibris (Calypte anna) zeigen starke individuelle Unterschiede in der Anzahl rosafarbener Kehlfedern. An einer Stichprobe von fast 500 Annakolibri-Weibchen, die bis zu 11 Jahre nach der Beringung wiedergefangen wurden, konnten wir zeigen, dass die Größe der farbigen Kehlfedern erheblich zunimmt, wenn die Vögel vom Jungtier-zum Erwachsenengefieder mausern. Später nimmt die Größe mit dem Alter kaum noch zu, was bedeutet, dass bei erwachsenen Weibchen das Alter nur eine geringe Rolle für die individuelle Vielfalt dieser männlichen Kehlfedern spielt. Eine erst kürzlich durchgeführte Untersuchung legt nahe, dass Polymorphismus bei Kolibri-Weibchen weit verbreitet ist. Wir haben 13 Arten neu untersucht und können zeigen, dass in Hinblick auf erwachsene Weibchen die anderen „Morphen“ in Wahrheit dies sind: unreife Weibchen, falsch-geschlechtsbestimmte unreife oder erwachsene Männchen, ein Ergebnis ungenauer Gefiederdarstellungen in Bestimmungsbüchern, erfundene „Morphe“, unspezifische Gefiedervariationen oder Verwechslungen von statistischer Bimodalität mit Polymorphismus. Daraus schließen wir, dass, obwohl viele Kolibriarten große Unterschiede im Gefieder der Weibchen aufweisen, ein echter Polymorphismus der Weibchen nur bei vielleicht drei Arten (0,9 % aller Kolibris) überzeugend nachgewiesen werden konnte. Auffälligstes Beispiel hierfür ist der Weißnackenkolibri (Florisuga mellivora). Diese Art scheint einzigartig unter den Vögeln zu sein, da die erwachsenen, brütenden Weibchen in zwei Morphen vorkommen: eine, die im Wesentlichen nicht von den leuchtend gefärbten Männchen zu unterscheiden ist, und die andere, die matt ist und keine schillernden Federn hat.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Gary Stiles, Vitor de Q. Piacentini, Peter Pyle, and Dustin Rubenstein for input, and Rita Colwell for contributing to banding. Banding of Anna’s Hummingbirds complied with the laws of the USA: the techniques in the hummingbird banding manual, the guidelines to the use of wild birds in research, and with permits from the USGS Bird Banding Lab.
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Clark, C.J., Robinson, B. & Remsen, J.V. Female plumage polymorphism is rare in hummingbirds. J Ornithol 163, 735–748 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-022-01975-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-022-01975-4