Plumage

Hands up if you know the reason for the plumage of the adult male birds to be more vibrant and ornamented than that of female?

Natural selection, I hear you say. The more beautiful male birds have been thought to be for the sake of courtship, offering an advantage whereby the feathers attract females.

Is this simply for natural selection favoring handsome males to attract their mates?

My recent reading on the subject is more positive. And less sexist than the old-fashioned male chauvinism theory. At times, it is better to look at the upper hand of drab female birds. I rather like the idea of female birds preferring a drab plumage for their own advantage. Ah, think about the usual role of female birds to raise the young, and conspicuous plumage at a nest can make both the female and the nestlings more vulnerable to predators.

In other words, females need a camouflage or dull attire to stay safe.