An Experimental Test of Condition-Dependent Male and Female Mate Choice in Zebra Finches
Figure 3
Preference for large and small brood birds by males and females from large and small broods.
Total time spent with small-brood versus large-brood opposite-sex stimuli by focal females (a) and males (b) from small and large broods. The y = x line illustrates an equal preference for birds from small and large broods: above this line birds from small brood are preferred, below birds from large broods are preferred. Smaller dots show the means±1 SEM per focal birds' brood sizes. The amount of time spent with opposite-sex birds from small broods depended on the brood size and sex of the focal birds: females from small broods spent significantly more time with males from small broods and females from large broods with males from large broods (see main text for statistical details).