Publications

radical loss of an extreme extra-pair mating system.	mating outside the pair-bond is surprisingly common in socially monogamous birds, but rates of extra-pair paternity (epp) vary widely between species. although differences in life-history and contemporary ecological factors may explain some interspecific variation, evolutionary forces driving extra-pair (ep) mating remain largely obscure. also, since there is a large phylogenetic component to the frequency of epp, evolutionary inertia may contribute substantially to observed ep mating patterns. ...	2009	19454026
multiple benefits of cooperative breeding in purple-crowned fairy-wrens: a consequence of fidelity?	1. kin selection is one of the mechanisms that can explain apparent altruism by subordinate individuals in cooperatively breeding species, if subordinates boost the production of kin. we compared productivity and breeder survival in pairs with and without subordinates in a genetically monogamous cooperatively breeding bird, the purple-crowned fairy-wren malurus coronatus. 2. additive effects of subordinate help increased productivity. total feeding rates to the nest were increased by two or more ...	2010	20443991
causes of ring-related leg injuries in birds - evidence and recommendations from four field studies.	one of the main techniques for recognizing individuals in avian field research is marking birds with plastic and metal leg rings. however, in some species individuals may react negatively to rings, causing leg injuries and, in extreme cases, the loss of a foot or limb. here, we report problems that arise from ringing and illustrate solutions based on field data from brown thornbills (acanthiza pusilla) (2 populations), siberian jays (perisoreus infaustus) and purple-crowned fairy-wrens (malurus ...	2012	23300574
male songbird indicates body size with low-pitched advertising songs.	body size is a key sexually selected trait in many animal species. if size imposes a physical limit on the production of loud low-frequency sounds, then low-pitched vocalisations could act as reliable signals of body size. however, the central prediction of this hypothesis--that the pitch of vocalisations decreases with size among competing individuals--has limited support in songbirds. one reason could be that only the lowest-frequency components of vocalisations are constrained, and this may g ...	2013	23437221
conservation of the patchily distributed and declining purple-crowned fairy-wren (malurus coronatus coronatus) across a vast landscape: the need for a collaborative landscape-scale approach.	conservation of species that are patchily distributed must consider processes that influence both the occurrence of individuals within patches, and the persistence of populations across multiple habitat patches within the landscape. here we present a rare regional assessment of the population size and distribution of a patchily distributed, threatened species, the purple-crowned fairy-wren (malurus coronatus coronatus), across a vast landscape. we used data from aerial vegetation mapping of wate ...	2013	23734229
from ornament to armament or loss of function? breeding plumage acquisition in a genetically monogamous bird.	the evolution of conspicuous male traits is thought to be driven by female mate choice or male-male competition. these two mechanisms are often viewed as distinct processes, with most studies focusing on female choice. however, both mechanisms of sexual selection can act simultaneously on the same trait (i.e., dual function) and/or interact in a synergistic or conflicting way. dual-function traits are commonly assumed to originate through male-male competition before being used in female choice; ...	2018	29943467
short-term climate variation drives baseline innate immune function and stress in a tropical bird: a reactive scope perspective.	investment in immune function can be costly, and life-history theory predicts trade-offs between immune function and other physiological demands. environmental heterogeneity may constrain or change the optimal strategy and thereby alter baseline immune function (possibly mediated by stress responses). we tested several hypotheses relating variation in climatic, ecological, and social environments to chronic stress and levels of baseline innate immunity in a wild, cooperatively breeding bird, the ...	2019	30689489
fitness outcomes in relation to individual variation in constitutive innate immune function.	although crucial for host survival when facing persistent parasite pressure, costly immune functions will inevitably compete for resources with other energetically expensive traits such as reproduction. optimizing, but not necessarily maximizing, immune function might therefore provide net benefit to overall host fitness. evidence for associations between fitness and immune function is relatively rare, limiting our potential to understand ultimate fitness costs of immune investment. here, we ass ...	2020	33143586