Condition-dependence of male ornaments is thought to provide honest signals on which
females can base their sexual choice for genetic quality. Recent studies show that condition …

Food availability is a major evolutionary force that has direct effects on an individual's body
condition. Since sexually selected traits are often condition-dependent, they are likely to …

Although elaborate bird song provides one of the prime examples of a trait that evolved
under sexual selection, it is still unclear whether females judge the quality of males by …

Although bird song is thought to be important in mate attraction, little is known about how
females perceive differences in song and which specific elements of song females prefer …

Highlights•Individual-specific mate preferences are common but poorly understood.•Mate
preferences differ strongly between individual female zebra finches.•Individual males differ …

The addition of red and green color bands is a commonly used method for manipulating
male attractiveness in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), providing insight into the study …

There is strong evidence that learning contributes to variation in sexually selected traits and
preferences. For birdsong, poor conditions in early life affect song and female song …

The focus of this thesis is on sexual selection within a behavioural and evolutionary
framework. Sexual selection is concerned with the factors that determine reproductive …

Male songbirds use song to advertise their attractiveness as potential mates, and the
properties of those songs have a powerful influence on female mate preferences. One idea …

Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, PO Box 9516, 2300RA Leiden,
The Netherlands, holveck@ rulsfb. leidenuniv. nl, riebel@ rulsfb. leidenuniv. nl Despite a …