Secondary sex characteristic

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A peacock shows his feathers. This one is male, he wants to impress females, or scare animals

A pair of ducks. The left one (with the brown head) is the female. It is smaller. Its plumage allows to hide better. The right one is bigger, it is the male. Its plumage is also more varied.

Secondary sex characteristics are features that make it easy to tell the sexes of a species apart. The features are not directly linked to reproduction.

Male birds usually have much more colorful feathers (plumage), the females are better able to hide, their feathers (plumage) stands out less.

Well-known secondary sex characteristics in humans are the deeper voice, facial hair (beard) and more muscular build in men. In women, those characteristics usually cited are more prominent breasts, wider hips, more fat, and generally a higher voice.

In men, fat deposits mainly around the abdomen, this gives them an apple shape. When women put on weight, they more resemble pears, as fat deposits mainly around the hips.