Search results for "Polymorphic species"

Data from: Gray plumage color is more cryptic than brown in snowy landscapes in a resident color polymorphic bird

2020

Camouflage may promote fitness of given phenotypes in different environments. The tawny owl (Strix aluco) is a colour polymorphic species with a grey and brown morph resident in the Western Palearctic. A strong selection pressure against the brown morph during snowy and cold winters has been documented earlier but the selection mechanisms remain unresolved. Here we hypothesise that selection favors the grey morph because it is better camouflaged against predators and mobbers in snowy conditions compared to the brown one. We conducted an online citizen science experiment where volunteers were asked to locate a grey or a brown tawny owl specimen from pictures taken in snowy and snowless lands…