The Advantages of Being Different

Excerpt:

Ornithology

The Advantages of Being Different

Zebra Finches Display Remarkable Differences in Their Individual Sexual Behavior

by Christina Beck

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The male zebra finch shakes himself after the scientist opens his hand and releases the bird into the cage but he doesnt appear to be put out by this involuntary displacement. Instead, he ruffles his head and neck feathers and immediately starts to court the only female in the cage. Her reaction is one of diffidence, reluctance hes really quite a womanizer. Zebra finches display remarkable differences in their individual sexual behavior, says Wolfgang Forstmeier. Many males begin to court a female immediately and persistently, while others are surprisingly shy. The females, too, all react very differently: some are prepared to copulate with one or more males immediately, while others strictly reject all advances.

Extrovert or introvert, confident or shy, macho or softie observers may use attributes like these to describe human beings, but surely not birds? On the contrary, says Forstmeier, such personality traits can be observed in young zebra finches early on, and they are still apparent years later.