Dec. 2, 2013 — A New Zealand bird that conspicuously displays its status on the top of its head can provide valuable insight into the social conventions of all creatures, including humans, scientists have found.
Research led by McMaster’s Cody Dey and Jim Quinn shows that the size of the “badge”, a fleshy red wedge extending from the beak and over the forehead of the pukeko, is an accurate indicator of the bird’s status – and that it apparently grows and shrinks in keeping with the bird’s standing in its social group.
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