DOES MALE-LIKE COLORATION OF FEMALE HOODED WARBLERS INCREASE NEST PREDATION

We tested the hypothesis that male-like coloration of female birds inc reases the risk of nest predation in a sexually dimorphic songbird, th e Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina). Female Hooded Warblers vary great ly in the extent of the black hood, ranging from no black in yearlings to an almost complete black hood in some older females. However, the frequency of nest predation did not vary significantly with extent of male-like plumage during the egg stage, nestling stage, or over all ne st stages. In addition, yearling females whose crown and throat was dy ed black did not suffer a higher nest predation rate than unmanipulate d and control yearlings. We found no evidence that breeding experience of yearling versus older females affects nest predation rate. In addi tion, yearling females did not tend to build more visually conspicuous nests. These results strongly suggest that predators did not use cons picuous plumage coloration as a cue for locating nests.