According to a new study, the behaviour and ecological factors have a bearing on the colours of the birds and not their gender as earlier studies have shown that males have brighter colours presumably to attract mates.

Earlier studies have focused on contrast amongst the sexes and suggested that males have different colours as they need to attract females. A team of researchers from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee conducted a study to determine the similarities among the sexes. They tested that hypothesis that evolution has actually resulted in similarities than differences.

The researchers studied almost 1,000 species of bird and found that when males typically have brighter feathers than females, the two come closer in colour moreto blend into their surroundings and hide from predators. They found that migration, breeding in subtropical locales and care of young was as strong factors in colors as sexual selection.

They wrote, “While most studies of bird plumage focus on dichromatism, evolutionary alter has most generally led to related, rather than diverse, plumage in males and females.”

Peter Dunn and Linda Whittingham, professors of biological sciences at UW-Milwaukee said that they found that ecology and behavior are driving the color of each sexes.Dunnand Whittingham worked with Jessica Armenta, a former UW-Milwaukee graduate student who now teaches at Austin Neighborhood College in Texas on the study.