Standardwing Bird-of-Paradise

Wallace's standardwing males display at communal leks - traditional trees where multiple males gather to perform. Each male holds a small territory within the lek, displaying when females visit. The males have evolved unusual white wing standards - elongated feathers that project like flags from each wing. During display, males raise these standards while calling and posturing.

This demonstrates the market dynamics of lek mating. Females benefit from concentrated comparison shopping - evaluating multiple males efficiently at one location. Males accept intense competition because lek attendance is where females look. A male displaying alone, however spectacular, finds no audience. Location and timing trump absolute quality.

The business parallel applies to trade shows, platforms, and marketplaces. Competitors cluster not despite but because of competition. Being where buyers look matters more than avoiding comparison. Like lek displays, market presence accepts comparison costs for audience access. Platform aggregation creates the very traffic that makes presence valuable.

Standardwings also demonstrate Alfred Russel Wallace's evolutionary insight. He discovered this species and puzzled over the extravagant ornaments. His observations of seemingly wasteful display contributed to evolutionary theory development. The bird itself became evidence for sexual selection's power to override survival optimization.