Category: Passeriformes

Post-breeding dispersal, breeding site fidelity and migration/wintering areas of migratory populations of Song Thrush Turdus philomelos in the Western Palearctic

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) Science Article 1 abstract Song Thrush Turdus philomelos ring recovery data gathered over 90 years in central, north and east Europe were analysed in their breeding zones and in 14 migration/wintering areas in Europe, North Africa and the Near East. Few post-breeding movements were over 20 km before the end of […]

Song repertoire size varies with HVC volume and is indicative of male quality in songsparrows (Melospiza melodia)

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Science Article 9 abstract Complex birdsong is a classic example of a sexually selected ornamental trait. In many species, femalesprefer males with large song repertoires, possibly because repertoire size is limited by the size of songcontrol nuclei which reflect developmental success Jeremy A. Pfaff et al, Proc. R. Soc. B (2007) […]

Fitness Correlates of Song Repertoire Size in Free-LivingSong Sparrows (Melospiza melodia)

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Science Article 8 abstract Models of sexual selection propose that exaggerated secondarysexual ornaments indicate a male’s own fitness and the fitnessof his offspring. These hypotheses have rarely been thoroughly testedin free-living individuals because overall fitness Jane M. Reid et al, Am. Nat. 2005. Vol. 165, 2005 Download article download full text […]

Effects of early nutrition on growth rate and adult size in songsparrows Melospiza melodia

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Science Article 4 abstract We manipulated the quantity of food provided to hand-reared song sparrows Melospizamelodia from 3 to 18 days post-hatching, a period when young birds in the wild areespecially likely to experience nutritional stress. A control group was given unlimitedfood, while an experimental group was limited to 60% of […]

Northwestern song sparrow populations show geneticeffects of sequential colonization

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Science Article 15 abstract Two genetic consequences are often considered evidence of a founder effect: substantialloss in genetic diversity and rapid divergence between source and founder populations.Single-step founder events have been studied for these effects CHRISTIN L. PRUETT and KEVIN WINKER, Molecular Ecology (2005) 14 , 1421-1434 Download article download full […]

A NEST-BUILDING MALE SONG SPARROW

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Science Article 13 abstract IN early March, 1933,a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia beata) came to our neighborhooda, rather closely built-up section of northeastern Columbus, Ohio. WILLIAM E. SCHANTZ, The AUK vol.54, 1937 Download article download full text (pdf)

Magnetic orientation of snow buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis), a species breeding in the high Arctic: passage migration through temperate-zone areas

Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) Science Article 1 abstract Orientation tests were conducted with snow buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis) exposed to artificially manipulated magnetic fields, during both spring and autumn migration. Experiments were run under clear sunset skies and under simulated complete overcast. The birds closely followed experimental shifts of the magnetic fields during both seasons regardless […]

Spatial and temporal distribution of breeding Skylarks Alauda arvensis in relation to crop type in periods of population increase and decrease .

Sky Lark (Alauda arvensis) Science Article 1 abstract The seasonal variation in Skylark Alauda arvensis occurrence, in terms of both presence and abundance, was examined in relation to crop type on a number of survey sites in English lowland farmland in two periods, 1965-70 and 1990-95 . These two periods were selected to coincide with […]