When the female of the species plays the field
In celebration of Women’s Day, let’s acknowledge what Mother Nature has known all along — it’s not a man’s world out there. The power of the female is visible across all forms of life.
Let’s take just the domain of birds, one that most of us instantly connect with. When we think and talk birds, for the most part it is the male or cock that hogs the limelight. Perhaps rightly so, since he is usually the flashier, more colourful creature, full of song and strut.
In the broader ecological sphere, this arrangement often has survival value.
However, a few million years ago, long before some of us crazy humans decided to dedicate just one single day to women, a small gang of birds teamed up to overthrow male dominance, in looks, attitude and amorous preferences, evolving quite an unusual
‘Wham, bam, thank you man’ best sums up the attitude of these two-legged beauties. Done with the act, and the laying of the eggs, she moves on, leaving the bemused guy to incubate and raise the young. This is a very different lifestyle from that of the archetypal hen in brood, whose survival depends on the male provider.
To me, these Amazons of the feathered world are winners all, and wow, with what drama they show up.
So which birds are these? You might be surprised to learn that, of at least six such species in the Indian region, five are found right here in and around Mumbai. These include two species of jacana or lilytrotters, one of the painted snipe, and two, if not three, of the buttonquail.
Interestingly, females of such polyandrous species have been observed to display quite the same behaviour as most male birds. Except for the jacanas, in which the females are slightly larger, in most she is also more colourful. The female painted snipe is especially striking, with chestnut-maroon and a deep olivish-green in her attire. too. With the onset of the breeding season, chiefly the monsoons here, and occasionally late summer, the larger and more vibrant females confront her rivals, other females of the species. These birds are more vocal (which may sound familiar), though the quality of their call can in no way be likened to melodious birdsong. Instead, the loud, buttonquails, the long-drawn oook… of the painted-snipe, which sounds like someone is blowing into a bottle, and the booming kuoon… of the jacana serve their purpose well, helping to stake out territory, advertise positions and warn rivals off. Territorial incursions lead to fights, some of them aggressive ones.
It is quite likely that these of a (male) harem. Of course this is in response to ecological conditions, but under suitable conditions, no sooner has she mated and helped the guy set up home (usually a skimpy nest of reeds and leaves) than she vamooses. Wasting no time, she starts her love calls again, selects another of her admirers, wooing him, making love, laying eggs — and then moving on to the next.
Sadly, not much is known about the extent of this behaviour, in terms of how many males may be mated with in a breeding season, for instance. But some of these birds likely breed all year round. These species are pri marily secretive denizens of marsh edge and cover, making continual observation well nigh impossible.
But these leading ladies clearly demonstrate that it is not always a man’s world and I hope there are more of them evolving over the next few million years. Because they need to come out in the open, and celebrate their place in the sun.
(Sunjoy Monga is a naturalist, photographer, and
the author of over a dozen