Data from: Male-like plumage in an urban nesting Veraguan mango: evidence of a female-limited polymorphism?

A first instance of parental care by a male-plumaged hummingbird from a
sexually dimorphic species contributes important natural history
understanding and helps illuminate the possibility of interesting
female-limited polymorphisms across hummingbird species. Using photos and
2.5 min of video taken at close proximity, we documented a Veraguan mango
(Anthracothorax veraguensis) with male plumage both incubating eggs and
later feeding nestlings in the town of Palmar Norte in southern Costa
Rica. Based on plumage characteristics and range, we rule out the similar
green-breasted mango (A. prevostii) that occurs in close geographic
proximity. On-ground exploration and Google Earth imagery revealed the
landscape surrounding the nest as a heterogeneous mix of urban,
residential, and agricultural land. Given our assumptions about the bird’s
sex and age, we speculated on potential mechanisms for male-like plumage
in adult female Veraguan mango (and related species in the Anthracothorax
genus), including age-related plumage ontogeny and the interaction of
social and ecological selection pressures. Our observation contributes
valuable information to the natural history of the Veraguan mango and
opens the possibility of a female-limited polymorphism in the species.