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), i..., , ## Male-like plumage in an urban nesting Veraguan mango: evidence of a female-limited polymorphism?

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.jh9w0vtp7](10.5061/dryad.jh9w0vtp7)

## Description of the data and file structure

With video, we documented a putative female Veraguan mango (*Anthracothorax veraguensis*) with male-like plumage providing parental care, including incubating eggs and feeding two juvenile birds, in a conspicuously placed nest in southern Costa Rica. The video has no dialogue.

### Files and variables

#### File: DSCN8818.MP4

**Description:** With video, we documented a putative female Veraguan mango (*Anthracothorax veraguensis*) with male-like plumage providing parental care, including incubating eggs and feeding two juvenile birds, in a conspicuously placed nest in a small town in the Puntarenas province of Costa Rica (8° 57' 55.8\"N, 83° 27' 42.5\"W; 32 MSL).

We observed, photographed, and recorded videos of a putative female Veraguan mango with male plumage incubating egg...,