Mark Cooper

Violet Woodhoopoe mass, sexual dimorphism and mantle feathers Mark Cooper

Average mass measurements from Green Woodhoopoes (76.5 ± 9.6 g, n = 1059) and Violet Woodhoopoes (81.1121212 ± 13.42613, n = 33) were compared. Violet Woodhoopoe Phoeniculus damarensis was measured and found to differ from the Green Woodhoopoe P. purpureus (t = 2.680, d.f. = 1090, p = 0.0075) when culmen, tail, tarsi and wing were kept constant. The Green Woodhoopoe lighter body mass than the Violet Woodhoopoes was manifest in flight. Violet Woodhoopoe adult females were significantly lighter (75.125 ± 11.07362 g, CV = 14.74026 %) than adult males (87.9285714 ± 9.76571 g, CV = 11.10641%) (t = -2.35827, n = 7, 8, p = 0.017343). Outer iridophore diameters from Green Woodhoopoe P. p. purpureus barbules (0.22 ± 0.03 µm, n = 244) were smaller than those from violet barbules (0.28 ± 0.04 µm, n = 248) whereas the inner diameters were similar in both cases. A latitudinal gradient was suggested for microscopic differences in green and violet woodhoopoe mantle iridosome diameters. A latitudinal gradient had a strong correlation with outer diameters (r=0.9892, r2=0.9785, n=6, p=0.000174).