Juvenile sexual dimorphism, dichromatism and condition-dependent signaling in a bird species with early pair bonds

Sexual selection in juvenile vertebrates is a rare and seldom studied phenomenon. Bearded Reedlings are passerines that form stable, life-long pair bonds within a few weeks after fledging. We investigated the degree to which juvenile Bearded Reedlings are sexually dimorphic and whether they possess condition-dependent ornaments. We found significant intersexual differences in the bill reflectance, reflectance and size of eumelanin-based plumage traits (lore and back patch) and morphological traits. Females that were in better body condition had longer tails and bills with greater red chroma, and lore size was negatively related to the occurrence of chewing lice. In males, body condition was positively related to melanic back patch length. Moreover, a positive relationship between bill color and feather mite load in males suggests a symbiotic, rather than parasitic, relationship. Our study provides the first evidence that sexually dimorphic traits in immature birds with pair bonds have the potential to signal condition and resistance to parasites.