Publications

nonrandom dispersal drives phenotypic divergence within a bird population.	gene flow through dispersal has traditionally been thought to function as a force opposing evolutionary differentiation. however, directional gene flow may actually reinforce divergence of populations in close proximity. this study documents the phenotypic differentiation over more than two decades in body size (tarsus length) at a very short spatial scale (1.1 km) within a population of pied flycatchers ficedula hypoleuca inhabiting deciduous and coniferous habitats. unlike females, males breed ...	2013	24363908
differentiation in neutral genes and a candidate gene in the pied flycatcher: using biological archives to track global climate change.	global climate change is one of the major driving forces for adaptive shifts in migration and breeding phenology and possibly impacts demographic changes if a species fails to adapt sufficiently. in western europe, pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) have insufficiently adapted their breeding phenology to the ongoing advance of food peaks within their breeding area and consequently suffered local population declines. we address the question whether this population decline led to a loss of gene ...	2013	24363905
fitness consequences of northward dispersal as possible adaptation to climate change, using experimental translocation of a migratory passerine.	climate change leads to rapid, differential changes in phenology across trophic levels, often resulting in temporal mismatches between predators and their prey. if a species cannot easily adjust its timing, it can adapt by choosing a new breeding location with a later phenology of its prey. in this study, we experimentally investigated whether long-distance dispersal to northern breeding grounds with a later phenology could be a feasible process to restore the match between timing of breeding an ...	2013	24349454
natal dispersal based on past and present environmental phenology in the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca).	natal dispersal allows individuals to reach suitable breeding sites. the effect of present plant phenology as a cue for dispersal into areas with favourable stages of development has been well established across avian and mammalian taxa. however, the effect of past experience is less understood. we studied the effect of past and present phenology of the environment on the direction and distance of natal dispersal in a passerine bird, the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca). we monitored spring ...	2014	24297099
large-scale geographical variation in eggshell metal and calcium content in a passerine bird (ficedula hypoleuca).	birds have been used as bioindicators of pollution, such as toxic metals. levels of pollutants in eggs are especially interesting, as developing birds are more sensitive to detrimental effects of pollutants than adults. only very few studies have monitored intraspecific, large-scale variation in metal pollution across a species' breeding range. we studied large-scale geographic variation in metal levels in the eggs of a small passerine, the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca), sampled from 15 p ...	2014	24234761
observed fitness may affect niche overlap in competing species via selective social information use.	social information transmission is important because it enables horizontal spread of behaviors, not only between conspecifics but also between individuals of different species. because interspecific social information use is expected to take place among species with similar resource needs, it may have major consequences for the emergence of local adaptations, resource sharing, and community organization. social information use is expected to be selective, but the conditions promoting it in an in ...	2013	24021400
malaria infections reinforce competitive asymmetry between two ficedula flycatchers in a recent contact zone.	parasites may influence the outcome of interspecific competition between closely related host species through lower parasite virulence in the host with which they share the longer evolutionary history. we tested this idea by comparing the prevalence of avian malaria (haemosporidia) lineages and their association with survival in pied and collared flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca and f. albicollis) breeding in a recent contact zone on the swedish island of öland. a nested pcr protocol amplifying h ...	2013	23980765
variation in prevalence and intensity of two avian ectoparasites in a polluted area.	we counted the numbers of pupae of two ectoparasitic flies (protocalliphora sp. and ornithomyia sp.) in the nests of a passerine bird, the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) to find out if their prevalence or intensity are affected by long-term environmental pollution by a copper smelter and whether such an interaction would have impacts on birds' breeding success. fecal metal concentrations of f. hypoleuca nestlings were used to explore direct association between metal levels and parasite pre ...	2013	23919991
diet composition as a cause of different contaminant exposure in two sympatric passerines in the middle urals, russia.	contaminant exposure can vary between species but primary causes of it are often unclear. in order to estimate heavy metal intake of two sympatric passerines - ficedula hypoleuca pall. and parus ater l. - we studied nestling diet and metal concentrations in prey invertebrates, near the middle ural copper smelter and in an unpolluted area. diet of p. ater contained more cu, cd and zn compared to f. hypoleuca and the same amount of pb. contribution of different prey taxa to bird metal intake was n ...	2013	23916013
the excuse principle can maintain cooperation through forgivable defection in the prisoner's dilemma game.	reciprocal altruism describes a situation in which an organism acts in a manner that temporarily reduces its fitness while increasing another organism's fitness, but there is an ultimate fitness benefit based on an expectation that the other organism will act in a similar manner at a later time. it creates the obvious dilemma in which there is always a short-term benefit to cheating, therefore cooperating individuals must avoid being exploited by non-cooperating cheaters. this is achieved by fol ...	2013	23864603
lifetime fitness and age-related female ornament signalling: evidence for survival and fecundity selection in the pied flycatcher.	ornaments displayed by females have often been denied evolutionary interest due to their frequently reduced expression relative to males, habitually attributed to a genetic correlation between the sexes. we estimated annual and lifetime reproductive success of female pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) and applied capture-mark-recapture models to analyse annual survival rates in relation to the patterns of expression (absence/presence) of an ornament displayed by all males and a fraction of fe ...	2013	23638705
optimizing the trade-off between offspring number and quality in unpredictable environments: testing the role of differential androgen transfer to collared flycatcher eggs.	according to the brood reduction hypothesis, parents adjust their brood size in response to current environmental conditions. when resources are abundant, parents can successfully raise all hatched offspring, but when resources are scarce, brood reduction, i.e., the sacrifice of some siblings to secure the quality of a subset of offspring, may maximize fitness. differential transfer of maternal androgens is one potential proximate mechanism through which female birds may facilitate brood reducti ...	2013	23602767
low fertility of wild hybrid male flycatchers despite recent divergence.	postzygotic isolation may be important for maintaining species boundaries, particularly when premating barriers are incomplete. little is known about the course of events leading from minor environmental mismatches affecting hybrid fitness to severe genetic incompatibilities causing sterility or inviability. we investigated whether reduced reproductive success of hybrid males was caused by suboptimal sperm traits or by more severe genetic incompatibilities in a hybrid zone of pied (ficedula hypo ...	2013	23576780
oxidative status in nestlings of three small passerine species exposed to metal pollution.	antioxidant defense has an important role in the protection of organisms against oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ros). many metals are capable of generating ros and inducing oxidative damage, and may therefore lead to changes in oxidative regulation. we studied species-specific variation in the oxidative status of great tit (parus major), blue tit (cyanistes caeruleus) and pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) nestlings in a vicinity of a non-ferrous smelter. non-enzymatic (gl ...	2013	23567166
fluctuating selection and immigration as determinants of the phenotypic composition of a population.	it is important to identify the factors that affect the evolutionary potential of populations to respond to environmental changes. such processes are for example the ones affecting the amount of heritable phenotypic variation in a population. we examined factors explaining the wide phenotypic variation in the genetically determined black-brown dorsal colouration of male pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) during a period of >50 years in a northern european breeding population. we demonstrate t ...	2013	23361152
you mob my owl, i'll mob yours: birds play tit-for-tat game.	reciprocity is fundamental to cooperative behaviour and has been verified in theoretical models. however, there is still limited experimental evidence for reciprocity in non-primate species. our results more decisively clarify that reciprocity with a tit-for-tat enforcement strategy can occur among breeding pied flycatchers ficedula hypoleuca separate from considerations of byproduct mutualism. breeding pairs living in close proximity (20-24 m) did exhibit byproduct mutualism and always assisted ...	2012	23150772
[specific immunity and polymorphism of breeding plumage in pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) males (aves: passeriformes)].	the relationship between the type of melanin-based plumage coloration and the strength of experimentally induced immune response was studied using as an example a pied flycatcher population from the moscow region. the plumage of pied flycatcher males exhibits the full spectrum of transitions from contrasting black-and-white to cryptic brownish, the latter being very similar to the coloration of females. in spite of numerous studies, the nature of this polymorphism still remains vague. unlike man ...	2012	23136790
the proteomics of feather development in pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) with different plumage coloration.	the genetic theory of morphological evolution postulates that form evolves largely by changing the expression proteins that are functionally conserved. it follows that understanding the function of proteins during different phases of development as well as the mechanisms by which the functions are modified is a prerequisite for understanding evolutionary change. male pied flycatchers exhibit marked phenotypic variation in their breeding plumage. this variation has repeatedly been shown to have a ...	2012	23110392
prevalence of salmonella and yersinia in free-living pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) in central spain.	salmonella and yersinia are important enteropathogens in poultry and can affect birds of all ages, including embryos. these food-borne zoonotic enteropathogens are of great economic and medical concern worldwide and are intensely studied in poultry. information regarding the prevalence of these bacteria in wild birds is scarce and biased toward avian species ecologically linked to humans, which have often been incriminated as both reservoirs and disseminators of these enteropathogens. the preval ...	2011	22946412
decreased metal accumulation in passerines as a result of reduced emissions.	technological advances in industrial processes have resulted in reduced atmospheric emissions from metal industries all over the globe, but the response of the environment is not well known. the authors studied metal (as, cd, cu, ni, pb, and se) accumulation in passerine birds (pied flycatcher, ficedula hypoleuca, and great tit, parus major) following almost 20 years of reduced metal emissions from the largest nonferrous smelter in finland. close to the industry, emission reductions resulted in ...	2012	22513991
higher nest predation risk in association with a top predator: mesopredator attraction?	breeding close to top predators is a widespread reproductive strategy. breeding animals may gain indirect benefits if proximity to top predators results in a reduction of predation due to suppression of mesopredators. we tested if passerine birds gain protection from mesopredators by nesting within territories of a top predator, the ural owl (strix uralensis). we placed nest boxes for pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) in ural owl nest sites and in control sites (currently unoccupied by owls) ...	2012	22492168
plasma carotenoid levels are not directly related to heavy metal exposure or reproductive success in three insectivorous passerines.	the authors measured plasma carotenoid levels in three insectivorous bird species, the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca), the blue tit (cyanistes caeruleus), and the great tit (parus major) in metal-polluted and unpolluted sites around a copper smelter. their aim was to determine whether there was interspecific, age-related, or yearly variation in carotenoid levels and their responses to the ambient pollution level. the three bird species showed qualitatively and quantitatively similar carote ...	2012	22488531
no evidence for pre-copulatory sexual selection on sperm length in a passerine bird.	there is growing evidence that post-copulatory sexual selection, mediated by sperm competition, influences the evolution of sperm phenotypes. evidence for pre-copulatory sexual selection effects on sperm traits, on the other hand, is rather scarce. a recent paper on the pied flycatcher, ficedula hypoleuca, reported phenotypic associations between sperm length and two sexually selected male traits, i.e. plumage colour and arrival date, thus invoking pre-copulatory sexual selection for longer sper ...	2012	22384277
climate change, breeding date and nestling diet: how temperature differentially affects seasonal changes in pied flycatcher diet depending on habitat variation.	1. climate warming has led to shifts in the seasonal timing of species. these shifts can differ across trophic levels, and as a result, predator phenology can get out of synchrony with prey phenology. this can have major consequences for predators such as population declines owing to low reproductive success. however, such trophic interactions are likely to differ between habitats, resulting in differential susceptibility of populations to increases in spring temperatures. a mismatch between bre ...	2012	22356622
geographical variation in egg mass and egg content in a passerine bird.	reproductive, phenotypic and life-history traits in many animal and plant taxa show geographic variation, indicating spatial variation in selection regimes. maternal deposition to avian eggs, such as hormones, antibodies and antioxidants, critically affect development of the offspring, with long-lasting effects on the phenotype and fitness. little is however known about large-scale geographical patterns of variation in maternal deposition to eggs. we studied geographical variation in egg compone ...	2011	22110579
yolk hormones and sexual conflict over parental investment in the pied flycatcher.	female birds might be able to manipulate the parental effort of their male partner through elevated transfer of hormones to the eggs, since these hormones affect many chick traits that males might use as cues for adjusting the level of their investment. we experimentally studied whether female pied flycatchers ficedula hypoleuca could manipulate male investment via yolk androgens. there is much more variation in yolk androgen levels between females than within clutches, and in order to change th ...	2011	22081740
candidate genes for colour and vision exhibit signals of selection across the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) breeding range.	the role of natural selection in shaping adaptive trait differentiation in natural populations has long been recognized. determining its molecular basis, however, remains a challenge. here, we search for signals of selection in candidate genes for colour and its perception in a passerine bird. pied flycatcher plumage varies geographically in both its structural and pigment-based properties. both characteristics appear to be shaped by selection. a single-locus outlier test revealed 2 of 14 loci t ...	2012	22027894
slow improvements of metal exposure, health- and breeding conditions of pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) after decreased industrial heavy metal emissions.	the environment around metal industries, such as smelters, is often highly contaminated due to continuous deposition of metals. we studied nest box breeding populations of pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) in a well-studied pollution gradient from a sulfide ore smelter in northern sweden, after reduced aerial metal emissions (by 93-99%) from the smelter. the deposition of arsenic, cadmium, copper and zinc (based on moss samples) reflected the reduced emissions fairly well. however, nestling ...	2011	21788063
species- and age-related variation in metal exposure and accumulation of two passerine bird species.	we measured the concentration of several elements (arsenic [as], calcium [ca], cadmium [cd], copper [cu], nickel [ni], lead [pb], selenium [se] and zinc [zn]) in adult and nestling pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) and great tits (parus major) at different distances to a cu-ni smelter in 2009. feces of nestlings generally failed to correspond with internal element concentrations but reflected the pollution exposure, indicating an increased stress by removal of excess metals. the uptake of cu ...	2011	21783288
digit ratios have poor indicator value in a wild bird population.	early androgen exposure is known to have long-lasting effects on phenotype, behaviour and even fitness, but difficulties in measuring the exposure hinders the study of its importance in evolutionary context. digit ratios have been highlighted as a potential easy-to-measure indicator of early steroid exposure, as they have been suggested to reflect steroid, mainly testosterone levels during prenatal development. however, evidence for digit ratios reflecting early steroid levels is weak, as experi ...	2011	21625648
seventy new microsatellites for the pied flycatcher, ficedula hypoleuca and amplification in other passerine birds.	the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) is a small migratory passerine bird commonly distributed across europe which has been the focus of considerable ecological and evolutionary research. here, we present details of 70 microsatellite markers for the species adding to the six which are currently available. sixty-six markers were also polymorphic in the closely related collared flycatcher (ficedula albicollis), while 54 were polymorphic in another related passerine, the bluethroat (luscinia sve ...	2008	21585917
permanent genetic resources added to molecular ecology resources database 1 january 2009-30 april 2009.	this article documents the addition of 283 microsatellite marker loci to the molecular ecology resources database. loci were developed for the following species: agalinis acuta; ambrosia artemisiifolia; berula erecta; casuarius casuarius; cercospora zeae-maydis; chorthippus parallelus; conyza canadensis; cotesia sesamiae; epinephelus acanthistius; ficedula hypoleuca; grindelia hirsutula; guadua angustifolia; leucadendron rubrum; maritrema novaezealandensis; meretrix meretrix; nilaparvata lugens; ...	2009	21564911
translocation as a novel approach to study effects of a new breeding habitat on reproductive output in wild birds.	environmental conditions under which species reproduce have major consequences on breeding success and subsequent fitness. therefore breeding habitat choice is ultimately important. studies rarely address the potential fitness pay-offs of alternative natural breeding habitats by experimental translocation. here we present a new tool to study fitness consequences of free living birds in different habitats. we translocated a migratory passerine, the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca), to a novel ...	2011	21479183
polyterritorialitytion in passerine birds.	in some birds, males defend two spatially separated territories and attract females to each one in turn. it has been proposed that this behaviour, referred to as polyterritoriality, allows males to conceal their marital status, thereby deceiving females into accepting polygyny against their best interests. the deception hypothesis has gained general acceptance as an explanation for polyterritoriality in birds, but until recently the empirical basis for the hypothesis rested almost entirely on st ...	1989	21227327
[estimation of heritability and repeatability of resting metabolic rate in birds, with free-living pied flycatchers ficedula hypoleuca (aves: passeriformes) as an example].	estimates of a trait heritability and repeatability can get at an idea of its usefulness for being an individual characteristic and its ability to change under selection pressure. heritability and repeatability of energetic parameters still poorly studied in birds. the most important physiological characteristic of homoiotherms is resting metabolic rate (rmr), which, in the absence of productive processes, does not exceed basal metabolic rate (bmr). we estimated bmr repeatability in free-living ...	2010	21061640
geographical trends in the yolk carotenoid composition of the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca).	carotenoids in the egg yolks of birds are considered to be important antioxidants and immune stimulants during the rapid growth of embryos. yolk carotenoid composition is strongly affected by the carotenoid composition of the female's diet at the time of egg formation. spatial and temporal differences in carotenoid availability may thus be reflected in yolk concentrations. to assess whether yolk carotenoid concentrations or carotenoid profiles show any large-scale geographical trends or differen ...	2011	20848135
melanin coloration has temperature-dependent effects on breeding performance that may maintain phenotypic variation in a passerine bird.	fluctuating selection pressure may maintain phenotypic variation because of different types of individuals being adapted to different environmental conditions. we show that the extensive variation in the coloration of male pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) can be maintained through differences in the reproductive success of male phenotypes under different conditions. the effects of weather conditions on the relative success of different male phenotypes varied between different phases of bree ...	2010	20846173
towards the simplification of mhc typing protocols: targeting classical mhc class ii genes in a passerine, the pied flycatcher ficedula hypoleuca.	major histocompatibility complex (mhc) has drawn the attention of evolutionary biologists due to its importance in crucial biological processes, such as sexual selection and immune response in jawed vertebrates. however, the characterization of classical mhc genes subjected to the effects of natural selection still remains elusive in many vertebrate groups. here, we have tested the suitability of flanking intron sequences to guide the selective exploration of classical mhc genes driving the co-e ...	2010	20815923
the risk of predation favors cooperation among breeding prey.	empirical studies have shown that animals often focus on short-term benefits under conditions of predation risk, which reduces the likelihood that they will cooperate with others. however, some theoretical studies predict that animals in adverse conditions should not avoid cooperation with their neighbors since it may decrease individual risks and increase long-term benefits of reciprocal help. we experimentally tested these two alternatives to find out whether increased predation risk enhances ...	2010	20714404
predator proximity as a stressor in breeding flycatchers: mass loss, stress protein induction, and elevated provisioning.	we investigated the physiological and behavioral consequences for prey breeding at different distances from a nesting predator. in a natural setting, pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) made territory location decisions relative to established sparrowhawk (accipiter nisus) nests. from female flycatchers attending nests at different distances from sparrowhawk nests, we measured body mass, blood stress protein (hsp60 and hsp70), and plasma immunoglobulin levels at the beginning (initial) and end ...	2010	20583723
effects of pollution on land snail abundance, size and diversity as resources for pied flycatcher, ficedula hypoleuca.	passerine birds need extra calcium during their breeding for developing egg shells and proper growth of nestling skeleton. land snails are an important calcium source for many passerines and human-induced changes in snail populations may pose a severe problem for breeding birds. we studied from the bird's viewpoint how air pollution affects the shell mass, abundance and diversity of land snail communities along a pollution gradient of a copper smelter. we sampled remnant snail shells from the ne ...	2010	20542535
carotenoid composition of invertebrates consumed by two insectivorous bird species.	dietary carotenoids are important pigments, antioxidants, and immune-stimulants for birds. despite recent interest in carotenoids in bird ecology, we know surprisingly little about the carotenoid content of invertebrates consumed by birds. we compared carotenoid (lutein, beta-carotene, and total) concentrations in invertebrates brought to nestlings by two insectivorous passerines, the great tit, parus major and the pied flycatcher, ficedula hypoleuca. we also compared carotenoid levels between e ...	2010	20446022
speciation in ficedula flycatchers.	speciation in animals often requires that population divergence goes through three major evolutionary stages, i.e. ecological divergence, development of sexual isolation and the build-up of genetic incompatibility. there is theoretical consensus regarding favourable conditions required for speciation to reach its final and irreversible stage, but empirical tests remain rare. here, we review recent research on processes of speciation, based on studies in hybrid zones between collared (ficedula al ...	2010	20439285
what prevents phenological adjustment to climate change in migrant bird species? evidence against the "arrival constraint" hypothesis.	phenological studies have demonstrated changes in the timing of seasonal events across multiple taxonomic groups as the climate warms. some northern european migrant bird populations, however, show little or no significant change in breeding phenology, resulting in synchrony with key food sources becoming mismatched. this phenological inertia has often been ascribed to migration constraints (i.e. arrival date at breeding grounds preventing earlier laying). this has been based primarily on resear ...	2011	20405299
behavioral and physiological responses of nestling pied flycatchers to acoustic stress.	the extended secretion of stress hormones in fully developed animals is known to have profound consequences. however, little is known about the effects of stress on the behavior and physiology of free-living young animals, and how such responses relate to each other. we repeatedly (during 5 consecutive days, 1 h/day) exposed the nestlings of a passerine bird, the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca), to recordings of nestling distress calls and examined their behavioral and physiological respons ...	2010	20171225
ecology and genetics of speciation in ficedula flycatchers.	birds have for long been popular study objects in speciation research. being easy to observe in the field, they have traditionally been particularly important in studies of behavioural and ecological factors in speciation, whereas the genetic aspects of the process have been studied in other organisms, such as drosophila. more recently, however, a stronger genetic focus has been placed on speciation research also in birds. here, we review ecological, behavioural and genetic studies on speciation ...	2010	20163542
flexibility of timing of avian migration to climate change masked by environmental constraints en route.	during the past decades, phenology of many organisms has advanced in response to climate change [1]. earlier arrival of long-distance migrants has been reported frequently [2, 3], but advancements of arrival and breeding were not always sufficient to match phenology at other trophic levels [4]. this has led to increased selection for early breeding [5] and severe population declines [6, 7]. this inadequate response has been explained by an inflexible start of migration, governed by cues unrelate ...	2010	20116248
lead exposure and biological effects in pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) before and after the closure of a lead mine in northern sweden.	mining activities affect the surrounding environment by increasing exposure to metals. in this study, metal accumulation and its effects on reproduction and health of pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) nestlings were monitored before and up to five years after a lead mine and enrichment plant closed down. the lead concentration in moss, nestling blood, liver and feces all indicated decreased lead exposure by at least 31% after closure, although only blood lead decreased significantly. although ...	2010	20116150
habitat selection as an antipredator behaviour in a multi-predator landscape: all enemies are not equal.	1. breeding territory choice constitutes a crucial antipredator behaviour for animals that determines reproductive success and survival during the breeding season. on arrival to breeding grounds migrant prey face a multitude of 'waiting' predators already settled within the landscape. 2. we studied territory selection and reproductive investment of migrant pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) relative to breeding pygmy owls (pos) (glaucidium passerinum) and tengmalm's owls (tos) (aegolius funere ...	2010	19912426
the increased risk of predation enhances cooperation.	theory predicts that animals in adverse conditions can decrease individual risks and increase long-term benefits by cooperating with neighbours. however, some empirical studies suggest that animals often focus on short-term benefits, which can reduce the likelihood that they will cooperate with others. in this experimental study, we tested between these two alternatives by evaluating whether increased predation risk (as a correlate of environmental adversity) enhances or diminishes the occurrenc ...	2010	19846454
yolk hormones have sex-specific long-term effects on behavior in the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca).	the hormonal environment during early development, such as maternally derived androgens in bird eggs, shapes the development and phenotype of the offspring in ways that may have important long-term consequences for behaviour. we studied the effects of yolk androgens on multiple behavioural traits in female and male pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) by experimentally elevating androgen levels (testosterone and androstenedione) in the eggs. the birds were housed in a common-garden environment ...	2010	19804778
geographic patterns of genetic differentiation and plumage colour variation are different in the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca).	the pied flycatcher is one of the most phenotypically variable bird species in europe. the geographic variation in phenotypes has often been attributed to spatial variation in selection regimes that is associated with the presence or absence of the congeneric collared flycatcher. spatial variation in phenotypes could however also be generated by spatially restricted gene flow and genetic drift. we examined the genetic population structure of pied flycatchers across the breeding range and applied ...	2009	19796331
polluted environment and cold weather induce laying gaps in great tit and pied flycatcher.	we studied the occurrence of laying gaps in free-living populations of the pied flycatcher, ficedula hypoleuca, and the great tit, parus major, in a pollution gradient of a copper smelter in south-west finland. laying gaps were 2.8 times more common in f. hypoleuca than in p. major. the probability of laying gaps was highest in the heavily polluted zone and lowest in the unpolluted zone for both bird species. cold weather at the time of laying increased the number of laying gaps in both species, ...	2010	19784674
life-history divergence facilitates regional coexistence of competing ficedula flycatchers.	regional coexistence of ecologically similar species is facilitated when fluctuations in environmental conditions favor different species at different times or places. however, why species with similar ecology should vary in their response to environmental change is unclear. in this study, we explore the role of a life-history divergence in causing changes in relative fitness across environmental conditions experienced by populations of two closely related ficedula flycatchers on the baltic isla ...	2009	19694142
development of stress response in nestling pied flycatchers.	birds respond to unpredictable events by secreting corticosterone, which induces various responses to cope with stressful situations. however, the evidence is still elusive whether altricial nestlings perceive and respond to external stressors. we investigated the development of adrenocortical stress response to handling-related stressor in nestlings of a small passerine bird, the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca). nestlings were held in isolation from their parents during the experiment to e ...	2009	19506887
isospora hypoleucae sp. n. (apicomplexa: eimeriidae), a new coccidian parasite found in the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca).	a new coccidia species is reported from the natural population of pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) in northern germany. sporulated oocysts were found in faeces from 6 of 8 sampled adults. the spherical oocysts of the new isospora species have a brownish, smooth, bi-layered wall. average size of sporulated oocysts was 19.4 x 19.3 microm (17.5-22.8 microm x 17.5-22.8 microm ) with a shape index (length/width) of 1.0. the sporulated oocysts have no micropyle or residuum, but enclose several sma ...	2009	19450377
local survival of pied flycatcher males and females in a pollution gradient of a cu smelter.	survival is one of the most central population measures when the effects of the pollution are studied in natural bird populations. however, only few studies have actually measured rigorous survival estimates on adult birds. in recent years there has been a methodological advance in survival analyses by mark-recapture models. we modelled local survival (including mortality and emigration) with the program mark in a population of a small insectivorous passerine bird, the pied flycatcher (ficedula ...	2009	19232803
effects of reduced lead deposition on pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) nestlings: tracing exposure routes using stable lead isotopes.	to what extent the lead burden of birds living in strongly contaminated ecosystems is responding to decreased atmospheric lead deposition is not well known. in this study, we measured lead concentrations and stable lead isotope ratios (206pb/207pb and 208pb/207pb) in liver and feces from pied flycatcher nestlings (ficedula hypoleuca) along a 90 km pollution gradient from the rönnskär smelter in northern sweden. changes in lead concentration in the birds from 1984 to 2006 were used for assessing ...	2009	19209608
indirect cues of nest predation risk and avian reproductive decisions.	current life-history theory predicts that increased mortality at early stages of life leads to reduced initial investment (e.g. clutch size) but increased subsequent investment during the reproduction attempt. in a field experiment, migratory pied flycatchers ficedula hypoleuca perceived differences in mammalian nest predation risk and altered their reproductive strategies in two respects. first, birds avoided nest sites manipulated to reflect the presence of a predator. second, birds breeding i ...	2009	19126533
selection on sperm morphology under relaxed sperm competition in a wild passerine bird.	theories regarding the role of sexual selection on the evolution of sperm traits are based on an association between pre-copulatory (e.g. female preference) and post-copulatory (e.g. ejaculate quality) male reproductive traits. in tests of these hypotheses, sperm morphology has rarely been used, despite its high heritability and intra-individual consistency. we found evidence of selection for longer sperm through positive phenotypic associations between sperm size and the two major female prefer ...	2009	18986959
the effects of sex, age and breeding success on breeding dispersal of pied flycatchers along a pollution gradient.	we modelled breeding dispersal of an insectivorous bird, the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) around a point source of heavy metals (a copper smelter). we tested for the effects of sex, age, breeding success and environmental pollution on breeding dispersal distances of f. hypoleuca females and males. unlike many earlier studies on breeding dispersal, we took into account distance-dependent sampling bias by including in our model the recapture probabilities at different distances from the si ...	2008	18543001
pre-laying nutrition mediates maternal effects on offspring immune capacity and growth in the pied flycatcher.	we have aimed at detecting prelaying maternal effects on nestling antibody defences and growth through experimental food supplementation of female pied flycatchers ficedula hypoleuca and subsequent exchange of whole clutches with control nests. the levels of immunoglobulins and the mass and size of chicks at 12 days of age were ascertained. this is the first study controlling for maternal incubation effects by exchanging eggs rather than nestlings. our prediction is that the females' availabilit ...	2008	18369666
natural and sexual selection against hybrid flycatchers.	while sexual selection is generally assumed to quickly cause or strengthen prezygotic barriers between sister species, its role in causing postzygotic isolation, through the unattractiveness of intermediate hybrids, is less often examined. combining 24 years of pedigree data and recently developed species-specific molecular markers from collared (ficedula albicollis) and pied (ficedula hypoleuca) flycatchers and their hybrids, we were able to quantify all key components of fitness. to disentangl ...	2008	18211878
corticosterone metabolites in blue tit and pied flycatcher droppings: effects of brood size, ectoparasites and temperature.	the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (hpa) axis of birds induces the secretion of corticosterone (cort) as a response to different ecological variables. in this study we tested experimentally if manipulations of brood size or ectoparasitism led to subsequent differences in the concentration of excreted cort metabolites of adult and nestling blue tits (cyanistes caeruleus). no significant effect of the manipulation of brood size was detected in adults or nestlings. no significant effect of ectopara ...	2008	18062967
[structural and functional aspects of variation of the breeding plumage ornamentation in the male pied flycatcher ficedula hypoleuca (aves: passeriformes)].	inter- and intraindividual variation of the breeding plumage ornamentation in male pied flycatcher ficedula hypoleuca from the moscow province population (55 degrees 44' n 36 degrees 51' e) was studied using long-term data (1996-2005). eumelanin prevailing colour type (ct) scored according to the seven-step dorst scale (dorst, 1936), age, and reproductive status during the current breeding season were analyzed as potential sources of variation of the white ornamentation on the forehead, the wing ...	2007	17944112
nestling testosterone controls begging behaviour in the pied flycatcher, ficedula hypoleuca.	begging signals and endogenous testosterone (t) levels of young birds have been shown to be positively correlated. if t is causally involved in controlling the level of begging effort, an endocrine control mechanism could explain the evolution of begging as a costly signal reflecting need. we tested experimentally whether elevated circulating t levels enhanced begging behaviour in nestling pied flycatchers, ficedula hypoleuca. a pilot study confirmed that nestling t levels could be elevated with ...	2007	17692851
oxidative stress in pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) nestlings from metal contaminated environments in northern sweden.	metals have been shown to induce oxidative stress in animals. one of the most metal polluted terrestrial environments in sweden is the surroundings of a sulfide ore smelter plant located in the northern part of the country. pied flycatcher nestlings (ficedula hypoleuca) that grew up close to the industry had accumulated amounts of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, iron and zinc in their liver tissue. the aim of this study was to investigate if pied flycatcher nestlings in the pollution gradient o ...	2007	17631289
experimental evidence for species-specific habitat preferences in two flycatcher species in their hybrid zone.	hybrid zones are often found in areas where the environmental characteristics of native habitat of both parental species meet. one of the plausible mechanisms that maintain species distinctiveness, or limit hybridization, is the existence of local species-specific preferences for the natal habitat type. we evaluated this hypothesis for two passerine bird species, the pied ficedula hypoleuca and collared flycatcher f. albicollis, in their narrow hybrid zone in central europe. both species have qu ...	2007	17534589
birds prefer to breed in sites with low radioactivity in chernobyl.	low-level radioactive contamination may affect choice of breeding site and life-history decisions if (i) radioactivity directly affects body condition or (ii) it affects resource abundance that then secondarily influences reproductive decisions. we tested the effects of radioactive contamination on nest-site choice and reproduction in a community of hole nesting birds by putting up nest boxes in areas differing in levels of background radiation. great tit parus major and pied flycatcher ficedula ...	2007	17389224
characterization of the first growth hormone gene sequence for a passerine bird--the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca).	while the growth hormone (gh) gene has been characterized in a broad range of vertebrates, surprisingly little is known about this gene in birds. in order to extend knowledge of the gh gene in avian species and non-domestic species, the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) gh gene has been sequenced in this study. the overall average pairwise sequence divergence level was 0.08 among all available avian sequences and 0.27 among other taxa. however, the overall genetic organization of the gene is ...	2006	17381040
prehatching maternal investment and offspring immunity in the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca).	maternal investment in offspring immunity via egg quality may be an adaptive evolutionary strategy shaped by natural selection. we investigated how maternal investment in eggs can influence offspring immunity by conducting two experiments. first, we manipulated foraging performance of the mothers before egg laying by attaching a small weight to their back feathers. during the nestling period, we investigated offspring total antibody production at the age of 7 days and after antibody challenge, a ...	2007	17305837
blood metabolite levels in normal and handicapped pied flycatchers rearing broods of different sizes.	we measured levels of select metabolites (glucose, triglycerides, free fatty acids, glycerol, uric acid) and corticosterone in the blood plasma of adult pied flycatchers ficedula hypoleuca while they were rearing broods whose sizes were modified experimentally. we also made it more difficult than normal for some pairs of birds to forage by removing certain wing and tail feathers (handicapping them). both procedures have been shown previously to change parental workload. we did this in order to d ...	2007	17267253
species divergence in offspring begging intensity: difference in need or manipulation of parents?	conflicts over the delivery and sharing of food among family members are expected to lead to evolution of exaggerated offspring begging for food. coevolution between offspring begging intensity and parent response depends on the genetic architecture of the traits involved. given a genetic correlation between offspring begging intensity and parental response, there may be fast and arbitrary divergence in these behaviours between populations. however, there is limited knowledge about the genetic b ...	2007	17264061
does migration of hybrids contribute to post-zygotic isolation in flycatchers?	in the face of hybridization, species integrity can only be maintained through post-zygotic isolating barriers (pibs). pibs need not only be intrinsic (i.e. hybrid inviability and sterility caused by developmental incompatibilities), but also can be extrinsic due to the hybrid's intermediate phenotype falling between the parental niches. for example, in migratory species, hybrid fitness might be reduced as a result of intermediate migration pathways and reaching suboptimal wintering grounds. her ...	2007	17254995
maternal androgens in the pied flycatcher: timing of breeding and within-female consistency.	maternal hormones can have substantial phenotypic effects in the progeny of many vertebrates. it has been proposed that mothers adaptively adjust hormone levels experienced by particular young to optimize their reproductive output. in birds, systematic variation in egg hormone levels has been related to different female reproductive strategies. because in many bird species prospects of the offspring change seasonally and with brood number, strategic adjustment of yolk androgen levels would be ex ...	2007	17216215
[development of hearing sensitivity and formation of acoustically driven defensive behavior of ficedula hypoleuca].		2007	17214298
egg colour reflects the amount of yolk maternal antibodies and fledging success in a songbird.	blue-green colours in avian eggs have been proposed as post-mating signals of female phenotypic quality to their mates. egg colour may not only indicate female value, but also the quality of the eggs themselves and of resulting offspring. to date, there has been no demonstration of an association between egg colour and egg or offspring immune quality. we here show that the intensity of blue-green colour of pied flycatcher ficedula hypoleuca eggs reflects the amount of maternal antibodies in the ...	2006	17148396
environmental pollution has sex-dependent effects on local survival.	environmental pollutants cause a potential hazard for survival in free-living animal populations. we modelled local survival (including emigration) by using individual mark-recapture histories of males and females in a population of a small insectivorous passerine bird, the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) living around a point source of heavy metals (copper smelter). local survival of f. hypoleuca females did not differ between polluted and unpolluted environments. males, however, showed a ...	2006	17148387
cross-fostering reveals seasonal changes in the relative fitness of two competing species of flycatchers.	spatial and temporal heterogeneity in relative fitness of competing species is a key factor affecting the structure of communities. however, it is not intuitive why species that are ecologically similar should differ in their response to environmental changes. here we show that two sympatric flycatchers differ in reproductive strategy and in sensitivity to harsh environment. the fitness of collared flycatchers (ficedula albicollis), which are dominant in interference competition, is more sensiti ...	2005	17148130
transgenerational priming of immunity: maternal exposure to a bacterial antigen enhances offspring humoral immunity.	young vertebrates have limited capacity to synthesize antibodies and are dependent on the protection of maternally transmitted antibodies for humoral disease resistance early in life. however, mothers may enhance fitness by priming their offspring's immune systems to elevate disease resistance. transgenerational induced defences have been documented in plants and invertebrates, but maternal priming of offspring immunity in vertebrates has been essentially neglected. to test the ability of mother ...	2006	16959648
environmental pollution affects genetic diversity in wild bird populations.	many common environmental pollutants, together with nuclear radiation, are recognized as genotoxic. there is, however, very little information on pollution-related genetic effects on free-living animal populations, especially in terrestrial ecosystems. we investigated whether genetic diversity in two small insectivorous passerines, the great tit (parus major) and the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca), was changed near point sources of heavy metals (two copper smelters) or radioactive isotopes ...	2006	16807076
song similarity predicts hybridization in flycatchers.	given that population divergence in sexual signals is an important prerequisite for reproductive isolation, a key prediction is that cases of signal convergence should lead to hybridization. however, empirical studies that quantitatively demonstrate links between phenotypic characters of individuals and their likelihood to hybridize are rare. here we show that song convergence between sympatric pied (ficedula hypoleuca) and collared flycatchers (f. albicollis) influence social and sexual interac ...	2006	16780521
polygyny and its fitness consequences for primary and secondary female pied flycatchers.	in polygynous species with biparental care, the amount of paternal support often varies considerably. in the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca), females mated with monogamous males receive more male assistance during the nestling phase than females mated with bigynous males, as the latter have to share their mates with another female. bigynous males, however, give more support to their primary broods than to their secondary broods. using a long-term dataset (31 years), the present study reveal ...	2006	16769641
climate change and population declines in a long-distance migratory bird.	phenological responses to climate change differ across trophic levels, which may lead to birds failing to breed at the time of maximal food abundance. here we investigate the population consequences of such mistiming in the migratory pied flycatcher, ficedula hypoleuca. in a comparison of nine dutch populations, we find that populations have declined by about 90% over the past two decades in areas where the food for provisioning nestlings peaks early in the season and the birds are currently mis ...	2006	16672969
negatively condition dependent predation cost of a positively condition dependent sexual signalling.	predation is considered as an important factor constraining the expression of sexual signals. nevertheless, direct quantitative evidence for predation provoking significant viability costs on individuals signalling at high rates is scarce. moreover, it is unclear whether high rate signallers are able to balance presumably increased predation costs. we examined whether a condition dependent audible sexual signal, drumming, makes hygrolycosa rubrofasciata male spiders more prone to predation by pi ...	2006	16599939
nestling testosterone is associated with begging behaviour and fledging success in the pied flycatcher, ficedula hypoleuca.	animal signals are hypothesized to be costly in order to honestly reflect individual quality. offspring solicitation signals given by nestling birds are thought to have evolved to advertise either need or individual quality. we tested the potential role of testosterone (t) in controlling the intensity of these signals by measuring begging behaviour as: (i) duration of the begging display and (ii) maximum height of the begging stretch, and by sampling endogenous t levels in nestling blood. we tes ...	2006	16519237
pollution-related changes in diets of two insectivorous passerines.	insectivorous birds living in polluted areas are not only exposed to pollutants but they may also be affected by changes in their invertebrate food. the populations of many invertebrate species are affected by environmental pollution and such changes may lead to differences in the diet of insectivorous birds. we examined nestling food quality (invertebrate composition and heavy metal levels) and breeding performance of two cavity-nesting passerines, the great tit, parus major, and the pied flyca ...	2005	16044352
contrasting patterns of polymorphism and divergence on the z chromosome and autosomes in two ficedula flycatcher species.	in geographic areas where pied and collared flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca and f. albicollis) breed in sympatry, hybridization occurs, leading to gene flow (introgression) between the two recently diverged species. notably, while such introgression is observable at autosomal loci it is apparently absent at the z chromosome, suggesting an important role for genes on the z chromosome in creating reproductive isolation during speciation. to further understand the role of z-linked loci in the forma ...	2005	15956661
degradation of song in a species using nesting holes: the pied flycatcher ficedula hypoleuca.	the habitat, but also the nest hole of a hole-nesting species, will degrade the song during transmission. we investigated how the sounds degrade in a sound transmission experiment with the song of the pied flycatcher ficedula hypoleuca (muscicapidae). ten different song elements were transmitted to microphones placed inside and outside a nest box. on average, song degradation was much greater inside than outside the nest boxes, especially with respect to excess attenuation and blurring of the so ...	2004	15258637
empty nests in the great tit (parus major) and the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) in a polluted area.	great tits (parus major) are sometimes found to incubate in their nests even though the nests contain no eggs. this phenomenon has been observed in different parts of europe (sweden, finland, uk, netherlands, germany) and it has become more common during the 1980s. we analysed the occurrence of empty nests in p. major and in pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca) in sw finland from 6-year data collected in a polluted area around a copper smelter which emits large quantities of sulphuric oxides and ...	2000	15092901
trade-offs between sexual advertisement and immune function in the pied flycatcher (ficedula hypoleuca).	good genes models of sexual selection assume that sexual advertisement is costly and thus the level of advertisement honestly reveals heritable viability. recently it has been suggested that an important cost of sexual advertisement might be impairment of the functioning of the immune system. in this field experiment we investigated the possible trade-offs between immune function and sexual advertisement by manipulating both mating effort and activity of immune defence in male pied flycatchers. ...	2004	15058434
territorial aggression, circulating levels of testosterone, and brain aromatase activity in free-living pied flycatchers.	testosterone (t) is a critical endocrine factor for the activation of many aspects of reproductive behavior in vertebrates. castration completely eliminates the display of aggressive and sexual behaviors that are restored to intact level by a treatment with exogenous t. there is usually a tight correlation between the temporal changes in plasma t and the frequency of reproductive behaviors during the annual cycle. in contrast, individual levels of behavioral activity are often not related to pla ...	2004	15053938
flycatcher song in allopatry and sympatry--convergence, divergence and reinforcement.	the theory of reinforcement predicts that natural selection against the production of unfit hybrids favours traits that increase assortative mating. whether culturally inherited traits, such as bird song, can increase assortative mating by reinforcement is largely unknown. we compared songs of pied (ficedula hypoleuca) and collared flycatchers (f. albicollis) from two hybrid zones of different ages with songs from allopatric populations. previously, a character divergence in male plumage traits ...	2004	15009256
[heterochronic retina development in pied flycatcher ficedula hypoleuca].		2008	14983688
stress, immunocompetence and leukocyte profiles of pied flycatchers in relation to brood size manipulation.	the two main trade-offs considered determining reproductive patterns in iteroparous organisms are the one between current and future reproduction, and the one between the number and quality of offspring. recently, it has been suggested that these trade-offs may be mediated by stress-induced reduction in immunocompetence. to test the hypothesis that stress reduces immune function, we investigated the effects of brood size manipulation on stress hormone levels, leukocyte profiles and immune respon ...	2003	12695901
[wulst neurons in the youngs of pied flycatcher ficedula hypoleuca at previsual stage of development].		2006	12625063
impact of busy roads on breeding success in pied flycatchers ficedula hypoleuca.	the impact of dense traffic on the breeding success in pied flycatchers (ficedula hypoleuca) was studied using roadside nest-boxes. nest site selection and breeding success of flycatchers were observed in relation to the distance from the road. the number of occupied territories was no higher closer to the road than it was deeper inside the forest. the distance to the road had no effect on the laying date, clutch size, or brood size. however, nests closer to the road were more likely to fail at ...	2003	12447577
positive fitness consequences of interspecific interaction with a potential competitor.	the coexistence of species sharing mutual resources is usually thought to be limited by negative processes such as interspecific competition. this is because an overlap in resource use leads to negative fitness consequences, and traits favouring avoidance of potential competitors, for example in habitat selection, are therefore selected for. however, species interactions are acknowledged to vary from negative (competition) to mutualism, although empirical evidence for positive interspecific inte ...	2002	12184832
gender and viability selection on morphology in fledgling pied flycatchers.	until recently, analyses of gender-dependent differences in viability selection and the ontogeny of sexual size dimorphism have been plagued by difficulties in determining the sex of nestling birds on the basis of morphology. recently, this problem was overcome using molecular sex identification to report for the first time body-size-mediated antagonistic selection on the viability of male and female collared flycatchers. we used molecular sex identification to analyse natural selection on fledg ...	2002	12144654
mate choice and imprinting in birds studied by cross-fostering in the wild.	sexual-selection theories generally assume that mating preferences are heritable traits. however, there is substantial evidence that the rearing environment may be important for the development of mating preferences, indicating that they may be learnt, or modified by experience. the relative importance of such sexual imprinting across species remains largely unexplored. here, we report results of a large-scale cross-fostering experiment in the wild in which nestling birds were raised by parents ...	2002	12137574