Northern flickers are woodpeckers of the eastern United States.Males, but not females, have black feathers that resemble a moustache extending from the bill along each side of the head.Aggression between males is common, but male and female members of breeding pairs are not aggressive toward one another.However, when scientists painted a moustache on female members of breeding pairs, their mates attacked them.This suggests that

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that the male flickers attacked their mates when they were given a painted moustache suggests that the moustache is acting as a releaser for aggression. This means that the moustache is serving as a stimulus that elicits an aggressive response in the males. This supports option A as the correct answer.

Northern Flickers Are Woodpeckers of the Eastern United States