Where the beta males rule

A year’s abstinence may sound an unlikely recipe for sexual success. But a chaste spell can work wonders for male prowess, at least in tropical birds, according to scientists…

Males that had failed to produce offspring the previous year had more vibrantly coloured feet, while the feet of the successful birds were more drab.

The scientists put the phenomenon down to the extra energy males use up in courtship and looking after young. The result is that they have less carotenoid left over to divert to their feet.