lalantis reblogged
Some qilik variation
Qilik are the most phenotypically diverse sophont and have a massive degree of variation in coloration and feathering across and within populations. This is partly due to being composed of at least three ancestral species and multiple subspecies (mostly interfertile and widely hybridized), partly due to their extremely wide range and often isolated populations, and partly due to the significance of color and display features in mate selection (and varying and ever-changing cultural conventions of attractiveness).
(A few here display body modifications, namely clipped brow feathers and selective plucking. The most vivid orange and pink shades require carotenoid pigments derived from the diet)
