Why Do Some Female Hummingbirds Crossdress?

Some female hummingbirds mimic the plumage colors and patterns of males to avoid harassment from aggressive males without becoming bullies themselves

© by GrrlScientist for Forbes | Twitter | Newsletter

Adult male (?) white-necked jacobin (Florisuga mellivora). Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica (Credit: Sam May / CC BY 2.0)

A lot of people are familiar with the idea that many birds are color-coded by sex: males are brilliant whilst females are drab. But hummingbirds have turned this…