American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) Science Article 1 abstract Biometrics, plumage and bare-part colour of 87 Great BitternsBotaurus stellarisfrom the UK,France, Italy, Poland and Belarus, of known sex (sexed by behaviour, DNA or dissection),were analysed to provide reliable sexing and ageing criteria for this little-known species,and to investigate geographical variation in biometrics. Four parameters were analysed: […]
HABITAT USE AND HOME RANGE OF AMERICAN BITTERNS (BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS) AND MONITORING OF INCONSPICUOUS MARSH BIRDS IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) Science Article 2 abstract An effective and efficient bird monitoring program is challenging to develop, given the different level of intensity of monitoring and the statistical vigor that monitoring programs must meet to effectively address specific objectives. I evaluated the marsh bird monitoring program established at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (AGNWR) […]
Life History of the Amazon Kingfisher
Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona) Science Article 2 abstract In contrast to the large and varied assemblage of kingfishers in the Old World, only six species representing two genera occur in the Western Hemisphere. The Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona) is the largest of the four species which comprise its genus, and in the New World it […]
THE INFLUENCE OF FOOD ON REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGIES IN A MONOGAMOUS KINGFISHER (CHLOROCERYLE AMAZONA)
Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona) Science Article 1 abstract We examined the influence of food accessibility on the reproductive behavior of the Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona) in Panama. Both sexes invested equally in nest building, but females incubated the eggs more often than males. Foraging performance (time elapsed between successful dives) differed between mates because they […]
Additive effects of ectoparasites over reproductive attempts in the long-lived alpine swift
Alpine Swift (Apus melba) Science Article 7 abstract Parasitism is a non-negligible cost of reproduction in wild organisms, and hosts are selected to partition resources optimally between current and future reproduction. While parents can compensate for the cost of parasitism by increasing their current reproductive investment, such change in resource allocation is expected to carry-over […]
Second clutches in the Alpine Swift Apus melba.
Alpine Swift (Apus melba) Science Article 6 abstract During a 2-year study in Sofia, Bulgaria, second clutches were recorded in Alpine Swift Apus melba, a species stated to raise only one brood per year. Each of the second clutches was laid after a successful first breeding attempt, in one case proved by marked birds. The […]
Der Alpensegler (Tachymarptis melba) in Freiburg im Breisgau
Alpine Swift (Apus melba) Science Article 10 abstract Since the first record of two birds in 1952 the colony of the Alpine Swift in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau (SW Germany) has increased to at least 259 individuals in 1999. From the beginning the population has been monitored and protective measures have been taken, […]
Parasitism and developmental plasticity in Alpine swift nestlings
Alpine Swift (Apus melba) Science Article 3 abstract 1) Development plasticity is a common evolutionary and phenotypic response to poor growth condition, in particular in organisms with determinate growth such as most birds and mammals. Because various body structures can contribute differently to overall fitness, natural selection will adjust the degree of plasticity of each […]
Adoption as an offspring strategy to reduce ectoparasite exposure
Alpine Swift (Apus melba) Science Article 4 abstract Adoption occurs frequently in colonial species where both the cost of parasitism and the opportunity for dependent young to find a foster family are typically high. Because ectoparasites show highly aggregated distributions among colony members, we tested two central predictions of the novel hypothesis that adoption is […]
Female-biased mortality in experimentally parasitized Alpine Swift Apus melba nestlings
Alpine Swift (Apus melba) Science Article 2 abstract 1) Sex-biased mortality in adult vertebrates is often attributed to lower immunocompetence and higher parasite susceptibility of males. Although sex-specific mortality has also been reported during growth, the importance of sex-specific immunocompetence and parasite susceptibility in explaining male-biased mortality remains ambiguous in growing individuals because of potentially […]