A competition is taking place.
The event is the high jump.
But who is competing?
Meet the Jackson’s widowbird.
Jackson’s Widowbird
Crazy skill: jumping!
Crazy Skill:
Jumping
These male Jackson’s widowbirds are showing off their skills.
They’re jumping to impress the female widowbirds, who watch carefully to see which one has the best technique.
The male widowbirds are larger than the females, and they’ve grown long, fancy tail feathers especially for the breeding season.
The females will choose their partners based on the length of their feathers and their jumping abilities.
So the males keep jumping… again… and again… and again… until eventually, the competition is over!
The female makes her choice, and the male can take a well-earned rest.
Phew!
So how crazy is the male Jackson’s widowbird?
It grows long, fancy tail feathers, and competes at high jump to attract a female partner!
long, fancy feathers
high jump
That’s kind of crazy!