A new female-like morph of juvenile male Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes) – sexual mimicry to avoid intra-specific predation?

Reuven Yosef, Lorenzo Fornasari

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

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 languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)64-67
Number of pages4
JournalEuropean Journal of Ecology
Volume1
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jun 2015

Keywords

  • Avoidance
  • Intraspecific predation
  • Levant sparrowhawk
  • Morph

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Ecology

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