Abstract
In migrant Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes) at Eilat, Israel, we noted that juvenile males had two different morphs – the one described to date in literature; and a second, previously undescribed morph, with female-like barring on the chest and flanks interspersed with tear-shaped elongated spots, giving an overall female-like appearance. Here we forward the hypothesis that explain the evolutionary consequences for the female-like plumage of juvenile males as that of intra-specific sex mimicry developed to avoid intra-specific predation by the larger females.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 64-67 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | European Journal of Ecology |
Volume | 1 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Jun 2015 |
Keywords
- Avoidance
- Intraspecific predation
- Levant sparrowhawk
- Morph
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Ecology