RED COLOR BANDS DO NOT IMPROVE THE MATING SUCCESS OF MALE ROCK PTARMIGAN

We studied the relation between the mating success of male Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus mutus and the colour of their leg bands. A previous study in this population at Sarcpa Lake, NWT, Canada reported that males with red or orange (R/O) leg bands achieved significantly higher mating success in one year than males without these band colours. During our study, we found that R/O bands did not increase male mating success in four subsequent years. Males with R/O bands were, however. significantly more likely to suffer aggressive intrusions from other males than males with non-R/O bands. These new findings are more consistent with recent theoretical and empirical studies of coverable badges in birds-R/O bands are similar in colour to the supraorbital combs (a coverable ornament used in both inter- and intrasexual interactions) of male Rock Ptarmigan and thus may elicit aggression from other males rather than increasing their attractiveness to females.