Greater painted-snipe

The greater painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis) is a wetland wading bird found across Africa and southern Asia. Females are larger and more brightly colored than males, compete for mates, and leave incubation and chick care largely to males.

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Sex-role reversal: A pattern in which the usual differences in competition and parental care between sexes are reversed. Females compete for mates while males provide most incubation and chick care.
Courtship display: A behavior that advertises an individual's suitability as a mate or stimulates mating. Females use displays and calls while competing for male partners.
Wetland: An ecosystem where water saturates or covers the soil for at least part of the year. Shallow, vegetated wetlands provide feeding and breeding habitat.
Jacana: A family of tropical wading birds in which females commonly compete for mates and males care for young. Jacanas show a better-known form of reversed sex roles, though they belong to a different family.
Sexual selection: Evolutionary change driven by differences in access to mates and reproductive success. Female competition and conspicuous coloration arise through selection for mating opportunities.
Nest: A structure or site where an animal lays eggs and raises young. Males typically incubate eggs in a shallow nest concealed among wetland vegetation.
Bird migration: Seasonal or otherwise regular movement by birds between geographic areas. Movements vary across the species' broad range, especially with rainfall and local water conditions.
Australian painted-snipe: A rare Australian wading bird closely related to the greater painted-snipe. Its close relationship makes it a useful comparison, though its range and conservation status differ.
Parental investment: The time and resources a parent contributes to offspring, often at a cost to future reproduction. Males' substantial care helps explain why females compete for access to them.
Incubation: The process of keeping eggs warm and otherwise supporting their development until hatching. Male incubation is a central part of the species' sex-role pattern.