COLUMN. A German team discovered that some males don't produce testosterone but instead breaks it down, making this bird a symbol of sexual diversity.

Males do not change plumage type or behavioral role during their lifetimes. A wonderful short video showing lekking and mating tactics of these ruffs is available at: Ruff courtship My co-workers and ...

Most male ruffs are known as "independents" and are known for their striking, darker breeding plumage and aggressive defense of small mating areas to impress females, who provide all parental care.

Residents recruit satellite males to their courts, apparently to make the court more attractive to females. Recent evidence shows the plumage polymorphism, which maps closely to the behavioural ...

Markku Nikki (Finland) highlights the impressive jumps and flamboyant plumage that are part of the male ruff’s mating display. Each spring, Markku documents the spectacle at a communal display ground ...

There are three types of males, known as morphs, that differ from one another in appearance and behavior. "Independents", which account for the vast majority, have darker plumage and energetically ...