This is Bird Note.

In many bird species, the males sort themselves into higher and lower-ranking birds, known

as alpha males and beta males.

It may seem like beta males always get the short end of the stick, but could there be

advantages to being second?

Male-lanced-tailed mannequins are known to pair up one alpha and one beta, and perform

choreographed courtship displays for females.

This is called cooperative courtship, when the alpha and beta, who are not closely related,

work together to attract the female.

They even practice beforehand.

The alpha always gets the girl, so what does the beta get?

A dedicated wingman gains skills in impressing potential mates that may come in handy once

he becomes an alpha.

However, not all males serve as betas before attaining alpha status.

Males that go through beta boot camp have more success at the start of their alpha tenure,

thanks to their age and experience, but they don't retain their alpha status longer

than other alphas.

And due to aging of these older alphas, opting in or out of beta training leads to roughly

equal reproductive success across the male's lifetime.

So to beta or not to beta, for Lanced-tailed mannequins, it remains the age-old question.

For bird note, I'm Michael Stein.