Meeting Abstract
Characterizing the appearance and signaling performance of the courtship display of Parotia wahnesi is challenging due to its directional and temporal attributes. We used vouchered behavioral specimens in the form of field-generated video-recordings, in combination with reflectance measurements from a museum specimen in the lab to reconstruct the “anatomy” of the extended courtship phenotype of the male Parotia wahnesi. We investigated 4 fundamental components of its directional signaling: (1) the direction of light illuminating the male in his court, (2) the morphology of the male’s iridescent ornamental plumage over a hierarchy of structural scale, (3) the direction and color of the reflectance from the male’s iridescent plumage, and (4) the position and orientation of the ornaments with respect to the female during display. We show how plumages are tightly aligned at multiple structural scales to maximize the effectiveness of visual signals. In a highly choreographed performance, ornamental plumages entice females through contrasting shape, intensity, and color, while ancillary plumages construct a backdrop framing those ornaments. We present evidence that the male leverages the geometry of his court and lighting environment to gain additional directional advantages. Every attribute, whether intrinsic or extrinsic to the male himself, hones signal production to generate spectacular but private displays intended for visiting female birds, unobservable from other vantage points.
