With a name like ‘widowbird,’ you’d expect this dusky male to have a low-key love life. But those 20-inch-long tail feathers are highly favored by females, even though they can make it difficult for the males to fly on windy days. The display has been the subject of much study regarding sexually selected traits and the tradeoffs between physical constraint and attracting a mate, since the tail feathers don’t seem to aid in flight and may even cause a hinderance. Ah, the things we do for love.
Longtailed widowbird at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Maybe we should be looking up
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Three cheers for polar bears!
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Nesting season for the leatherbacks
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A Great view from above
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Welcome to California
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International Day of Color
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International Whale Shark Day
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Westerheversand Lighthouse
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That s quite a schnoz, baby tapir
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A monastery in the mountain
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Modica, Sicily, Italy
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Florentine garden brings generations together
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Playa del Amor, Marietas Islands, Mexico
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Kangaroo family for National Hugging Day
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Everest s shadow on the Himalayas
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Montreux, Switzerland, and all that jazz
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In Texas, even the riverbend is big
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1, 1, 2, 3: It s Fibonacci Day!
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Make your list and check it twice
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The Twin Cities celebrate Pride
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Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, China
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Happy Thanksgiving
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A goldie gala
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Ministry of Fun Santa School
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Tom Turkey takes Manhattan
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Palouse farmland, Washington state
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Australian baobab tree, Kimberley region, Western Australia
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Composite of photographs from the Apollo 15 mission
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Happy Fathers Day!
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Where fire meets water