Marian-

This is a question that has stumped behavioral ecologists for a long
time. We know a lot about species with colorful males and dull
females - usually they have some sort of breeding system where
females get to choose among a selection of males. However, we really
don't have much information on what's going on in species where the
males and females are similarly colored. Perhaps they are choosing
each other, and females have to look spiffy too? Corvids are a great
example of the phenomenon (and it's possible that say, crows and
ravens aren't actually camouflaged, remember... glossy black is
pretty sexy), but there are many others, such as some tropical
orioles, many parrots, and lots of motmots and other Coraciformes.

Short answer - we don't know.

Jesse Ellis
Ithaca, NY

>While I can understand that females are more subdued
>in order to help with camoflauge, why don't some
>species follow that rule? Why, for example, are male
>and female jays (and most of the corvidae family) the
>same? Anyone?
>
>Marian Murdoch
>Belfair, WA
>marianmurdoch at yahoo.com
>
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--
Jesse Ellis, Ph. D. candidate
Neurobiology and Behavior
jme29 at cornell.edu
111 Mudd Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, 14853