| a review of the mite subfamily harpirhynchinae (acariformes: harpirhynchidae)--parasites of new world birds (aves: neognathae). | mites of the subfamily harpirhynchinae (acariformes: cheyletoidea: harpirhynchidae) associated with neognathous birds (aves: neognathae) in the new world are revised. in all, 68 species in 8 genera are recorded. among them, 27 new species and 1 new genus are described as new for science: harpyrhynchoides gallowayi bochkov, oconnor and klompen sp. nov. from columba livia (columbiformes: columbidae) from canada (manitoba), h. zenaida bochkov, oconnor and klompen sp. nov. from zenaida macroura (col ... | 2015 | 26624161 |
| hybridization associated with cycles of ecological succession in a passerine bird. | identifying the diversity of contexts that can lead to hybridization is important for understanding its prevalence and dynamics in natural populations. despite the potential of ecological succession to dramatically alter species co-occurrence and abundances, it is unknown whether it directly promotes hybridization and, if so, has long-lasting consequences. here, we summarize 30 years of survey data across 10 populations to show that in western and mountain bluebirds, heterospecific pairing occur ... | 2017 | 28937808 |
| mountain bluebirds: experimental evidence against altruism. | the frequency of true altruism in nature requires assessment because, if true altruism is common, darwin's theory of natural selection is inadequate to account for all of evolution. an experiment provided birds with the opportunity to behave truly altruistically. one member of each of 25 wild pairs was collected. ten of these were replaced naturally by courting birds, or consorts. only one consort fostered the young of her prospective mate, and her behavior was interpretable as a reproductive er ... | 1975 | 17835770 |
| altruism in mountain bluebirds? | | 1976 | 17730981 |
| altruism in mountain bluebirds? | | 1976 | 17730982 |
| mechanisms of evolutionary change in structural plumage coloration among bluebirds (sialia spp.). | combinations of microstructural and pigmentary components of barbs create the colour displays of feathers. it follows that evolutionary changes in colour displays must reflect changes in the underlying production mechanisms, but rarely have the mechanisms of feather colour evolution been studied. among bluebirds in the genus sialia, male rump colour varies among species from dark blue to light blue while breast colour varies from blue to rusty. we use spectrometry, transmission electron microsco ... | 2006 | 16849249 |
| nest-site selection of passerines: effects of geographic scale and public and personal information. | nest-site selection is an important determinant of individual fitness in birds. understanding what information individuals use to choose nest sites is therefore important for understanding the evolution of nest-site selection, the dynamics of populations, and the conservation of species. we used five years of mark-recapture data for mountain bluebirds (sialia currucoides) to examine how dispersal probability and nest-site selection vary with potential cues of nest-site quality. dispersal distanc ... | 2007 | 17824435 |
| coupling of dispersal and aggression facilitates the rapid range expansion of a passerine bird. | behaviors can facilitate colonization of a novel environment, but the mechanisms underlying this process are poorly understood. on one hand, behavioral flexibility allows for an immediate response of colonizers to novel environments, which is critical to population establishment and persistence. on the other hand, integrated sets of behaviors that display limited flexibility can enhance invasion success by coupling behaviors with dispersal strategies that are especially important during natural ... | 2007 | 17827278 |
| parasite-mediated growth patterns and nutritional constraints in a cavity-nesting bird. | 1. trade-offs between growth and immunity of nestling birds can be influenced by parasites, but the magnitude of these effects may depend on availability of critical dietary nutrients. owing to their importance for both immune system function and growth, dietary carotenoids have the potential to mediate parasite-induced developmental strategies of avian hosts. 2. the effects of ectoparasitic blow flies protocalliphora spp. and dietary carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) on immune function and pa ... | 2008 | 18177333 |
| resource selection plasticity and community responses to experimental reduction of a critical resource. | resource selection plasticity and behavioral dominance may influence the ability of a species to respond to changes in resource availability, particularly if dominant species have highly specialized resource requirements. we examined the response of several dominant and subordinate cavity-nesting species to a reduction in the availability of an essential resource (nesting cavities) using the novel experimental approach of blocking the entrances to high-quality cavities. we monitored nest abundan ... | 2008 | 18481522 |
| experimental dissociation of individual quality, food and timing of breeding effects on double-brooding in a migratory songbird. | annual reproductive success in many species is influenced by the number of breeding attempts within a season. although previous studies have shown isolated effects of female quality, food, and timing of breeding on the probability of female birds producing second broods, to our knowledge, none have tested the relative importance of multiple factors and their interactions using simultaneous manipulations within populations of free-living birds. in this study, we show that individual quality and t ... | 2013 | 23229392 |
| life-history and phenotypic traits of insectivorous songbirds breeding on reclaimed mine land reveal ecological constraints. | studies assessing impacts of industrial activities on wildlife typically examine population- or community-level responses. however, changes in measures such as species abundance or diversity are driven by cumulative responses of individuals to disturbance, and may take time to detect. quantifying individual responses could allow us to foresee and mitigate future population declines resulting from industrial activities, while providing ecologically informative indices to assess quality of reclaim ... | 2016 | 26930317 |
| sound settlement: noise surpasses land cover in explaining breeding habitat selection of secondary cavity-nesting birds. | birds breeding in heterogeneous landscapes select nest sites by cueing in on a variety of factors from landscape features and social information to the presence of natural enemies. we focus on determining the relative impact of anthropogenic noise on nest site occupancy, compared to amount of forest cover, which is known to strongly influence the selection process. we examine chronic, industrial noise from natural gas wells directly measured at the nest box as well as site-averaged noise, using ... | 2017 | 28052511 |
| resource quantity and quality determine the inter-specific associations between ecosystem engineers and resource users in a cavity-nest web. | while ecosystem engineering is a widespread structural force of ecological communities, the mechanisms underlying the inter-specific associations between ecosystem engineers and resource users are poorly understood. a proper knowledge of these mechanisms is, however, essential to understand how communities are structured. previous studies suggest that increasing the quantity of resources provided by ecosystem engineers enhances populations of resource users. in a long-term study (1995-2011), we ... | 2013 | 24040324 |
| residues in common flicker and mountain bluebird eggs one year after a ddt application. | common flicker (colaptes auratus) and mountain bluebird (sialia currucoides) eggs were examined 1 year after ddt application and showed a marked difference. residue levels in mountain bluebird eggs were approximately 10 times higher than in common flicker eggs (5.29 to 0.58 ppm wet weight). these differences can be explained by disparate dietary habits. the mean level in american kestrel (falco sparverius) eggs collected in the spray area at the same time was 6.42 ppm wet weight. | 1977 | 890148 |
| habitat-mediated variation in the importance of ecosystem engineers for secondary cavity nesters in a nest web. | through physical state changes in biotic or abiotic materials, ecosystem engineers modulate resource availability to other organisms and are major drivers of evolutionary and ecological dynamics. understanding whether and how ecosystem engineers are interchangeable for resource users in different habitats is a largely neglected topic in ecosystem engineering research that can improve our understanding of the structure of communities. we addressed this issue in a cavity-nest web (1999-2011). in a ... | 2014 | 24587211 |