New research from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee indicates that both male and female birds with colored plumage are the same in terms of attracting mates.

A team of researchers led by UW-Milwaukee biological sciences professors Peter Dunn and Linda Whittingham studied almost 1,000 different species of birds. They discovered that while males still do typically have brighter feathers compare to females, the gap between the two sexes is closing as both evolve over time to blend into their surroundings and hide from predators.

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"Although most studies of bird plumage focus on dichromatism, evolutionary change has most often led to similar, rather than different, plumage in males and females. Our study shows that ecology and behavior are driving the color of both sexes, and it is not due to sexual selection," the study authors said.

"We show that most evolutionary transitions in color have been toward similar plumage in both sexes, and the color of both sexes (for example, bright or dull) was associated with indices of natural selection (for example, habitat type), whereas sexual differences in color were primarily associated with indices of sexual selection on males," they added.

Researchers concluded that both natural selection and sexual selection influenced the bird coloration, but it works in different ways. Sexual selection led to reproductive differences, while natural selection caused color changes in both sexes. They suggest that there have been as many similarities as differences in male and female birds.

Researchers also discovered that when it comes to survival, the genders united, and in terms of reproduction, the genders swerved much more than in times of stability.

The new discovery was published in the journal Science Advances.

TagsColored Plumage is Not Just About Gender Study Reveals, Colored Plumage, bird, evolution, charles darwin, sexes