Article
Behaviorally Induced Camouflage: A New Mechanism of Avian Egg Protection.
The American naturalist - 1 Oct 2015
Mayani-Parás Fernando, Kilner Rebecca M, Stoddard Mary Caswell, Rodríguez Cristina, Drummond Hugh
Abstract excerpt
When animals potentially occupy diverse microhabitats, how can camouflage be achieved? Here we combine descriptive and experimental methods to uncover a novel form of phenotypic plasticity in the camouflage of bird eggs that may be present in other avian taxa. Soil from the bare substrate adheres to the blue-footed booby's (Sula nebouxii's) pale eggs, which parents manipulate both under and on top of their webs....
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