The color of a male’s feet can change rapidly depending on how well fed he is, and how healthy (Velando et al. 2006; Torres and Velando 2007). Maintaining enough pigment in his feet to stay in the mating game gets harder as he ages (Velando et al. 2010). As shown in the graph at right, however, males that take a year off from reproduction have brighter feet for their age. This result is open to alternative interpretations. Perhaps males that failed to reproduce last year increase the proportion of their energy budget they devote to advertising this year. Or perhaps males that are well rested, instead of exhausted from helping their mates rear chicks, simply have a larger budget overall. Either way, the pattern suggests that there is a conflict between reproductive investment this year versus future years. Males that strike the best compromise will enjoy the highest lifetime reproductive success.