Male and female marsh harriers should be easy to tell apart: the males have grey wing-tips and tails, while the females are mostly brown with distinctive creamy heads. The males also tend to be around 30 percent smaller. But looks can be deceptive. In western France, many of the “female” harriers are actually cross-dressing males that permanently wear the plumage of the opposite sex. Audrey Sternalski has found that this unusual costume allows them to lead more peaceful lives.

Forty percent of male marsh harriers don female costumes, and they start wearing them from their second year of life. Their feathers have the same colours, and they’re smaller in size. Only their irises give them away – they are