Researchers have found that for females of one hummingbird species, looking more like males comes with a major benefit: being left alone.

In young white-necked jacobins, a relatively large hummingbird that ranges from southern Mexico to parts of South America , both young males and females have bright blue feathers on their heads. As the birds get older, most females lose their flashy colors and develop more muted green and white coloring. But not all of them.

About 20% of adult female birds in one population in Panama kept the bright blue plumage typically seen on adult males, according to the study, which was published in the journal Current Biology this week .