Purple Finch Pair

Day 252: Purple Finches (Carpodacus purpureus) demonstrate a perfect example of sexual dimorphism, i.e., a profound difference in coloration and/or other characteristics exhibited by male and female members of a single species. To the untrained eye, these two specimens would appear to be different birds, however, the one on the top branch is a female Purple Finch and the showier one on the bottom is a male. In birds particularly, the female is often less colorful, a factor which affords her greater protection from predators. However, studies have shown that in many cases, female birds show a preference for males with bright coloration over those with duller colors. Think about that the next time you go tie shopping, guys!