Ecology and Behavior of Chickadees and Titmice

Ecology and Behavior of Chickadees and Titmice PDF Author: Ken A. Otter
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191524603
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Get Book

Book Description
Chickadees and titmice are among the most popular birds in North America, due in large part to their readiness to use bird feeders, to nest in urban gardens, and even to be trained to take food from people's hands. These attributes have also made them (and their Eurasian tit counterparts) perhaps the most intensively studied bird family in the world. Long-term research in Europe has yielded some of the most comprehensive data on the impact of global warming on the breeding ecology of birds. Chickadees have amongst the best-studied and most complex vocal behaviour of any bird species, displaying one of the closest analogies to human sentence structure in the animal kingdom in their familiar chick-a-dee call. The social dominance hierarchies commonly witnessed in the form of squabbling at winter feeders are some of most stable and closely studied, and have huge impacts on controlling the lives of these small birds. Their food-storing behavior, and the brain and physiological mechanisms controlling this, has contributed significantly to our wider understanding of spatial orientation. In recent years, these birds have also been used as model species for investigating topics as diverse as inter-species hybridization, the impacts of forest fragmentation and complex systems of communication. In short, chickadees and titmice have contributed enormously to our understanding of a myriad of topics in ecology, behavior and psychology. This book brings together a range of experts from across North America who utilise chickadees or titmice as study organisms. Each chapter reviews the latest advances in evolution and behavioral research that have been accomplished through the study of North American Parids, and compares and contrasts this literature with research on their Eurasian counterparts as well as other avian families. This research level text is aimed at professional avian biologists and ornithologists as well as graduate students of avian behavioral ecology and evolution. It will also appeal to a more general audience of behavioural ecologists, neuroethologists and experimental psychologists.

Ecology and Behavior of Chickadees and Titmice

Ecology and Behavior of Chickadees and Titmice PDF Author: Ken A. Otter
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191524603
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Get Book

Book Description
Chickadees and titmice are among the most popular birds in North America, due in large part to their readiness to use bird feeders, to nest in urban gardens, and even to be trained to take food from people's hands. These attributes have also made them (and their Eurasian tit counterparts) perhaps the most intensively studied bird family in the world. Long-term research in Europe has yielded some of the most comprehensive data on the impact of global warming on the breeding ecology of birds. Chickadees have amongst the best-studied and most complex vocal behaviour of any bird species, displaying one of the closest analogies to human sentence structure in the animal kingdom in their familiar chick-a-dee call. The social dominance hierarchies commonly witnessed in the form of squabbling at winter feeders are some of most stable and closely studied, and have huge impacts on controlling the lives of these small birds. Their food-storing behavior, and the brain and physiological mechanisms controlling this, has contributed significantly to our wider understanding of spatial orientation. In recent years, these birds have also been used as model species for investigating topics as diverse as inter-species hybridization, the impacts of forest fragmentation and complex systems of communication. In short, chickadees and titmice have contributed enormously to our understanding of a myriad of topics in ecology, behavior and psychology. This book brings together a range of experts from across North America who utilise chickadees or titmice as study organisms. Each chapter reviews the latest advances in evolution and behavioral research that have been accomplished through the study of North American Parids, and compares and contrasts this literature with research on their Eurasian counterparts as well as other avian families. This research level text is aimed at professional avian biologists and ornithologists as well as graduate students of avian behavioral ecology and evolution. It will also appeal to a more general audience of behavioural ecologists, neuroethologists and experimental psychologists.

Black-Capped Chickadee

Black-Capped Chickadee PDF Author: Susan M. Smith
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 9780811726863
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 100

Get Book

Book Description
Every aspect of a species' life in the wild -- courtship, nesting, brooding, communication, foraging, flying, fighting -- is covered in text by a leading ornithologist, and photographs by top nature photographers.

Ecology and Behavior of Chickadees and Titmice

Ecology and Behavior of Chickadees and Titmice PDF Author: Ken A. Otter
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
ISBN: 0198569998
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 344

Get Book

Book Description
Members of the Paridae family represent popular organisms for ornithological research. This is due to the flexibility to study this group of birds in both the lab and the natural environment. In contrast to previously published literature, this volume concentrates on research themes. The editor has invited a team of leading specialists to provide a synopsis of ecological and behavioural research, and to compare and contrast this with what is known from Old World members of this family (e.g. blue tit and great tit) as well as other avian groups.

Advances in the Study of Behavior

Advances in the Study of Behavior PDF Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128121726
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 420

Get Book

Book Description
Advances in the Study of Behavior was initiated over 40 years ago to serve the increasing number of scientists engaged in the study of animal behavior. This volume makes another important contribution to the development of the field by presenting theoretical ideas and research findings to professionals studying animal behavior and related fields. Initiated over 40 years ago to serve the increasing number of scientists engaged in the study of animal behavior Makes another important contribution to the development of the field Presents theoretical ideas and research to those studying animal behavior and related fields

Cognitive Ecology II

Cognitive Ecology II PDF Author: Reuven Dukas
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226169375
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Get Book

Book Description
Merging evolutionary ecology and cognitive science, cognitive ecology investigates how animal interactions with natural habitats shape cognitive systems, and how constraints on nervous systems limit or bias animal behavior. Research in cognitive ecology has expanded rapidly in the past decade, and this second volume builds on the foundations laid out in the first, published in 1998. Cognitive Ecology II integrates numerous scientific disciplines to analyze the ecology and evolution of animal cognition. The contributors cover the mechanisms, ecology, and evolution of learning and memory, including detailed analyses of bee neurobiology, bird song, and spatial learning. They also explore decision making, with mechanistic analyses of reproductive behavior in voles, escape hatching by frog embryos, and predation in the auditory domain of bats and eared insects. Finally, they consider social cognition, focusing on alarm calls and the factors determining social learning strategies of corvids, fish, and mammals. With cognitive ecology ascending to its rightful place in behavioral and evolutionary research, this volume captures the promise that has been realized in the past decade and looks forward to new research prospects.

Owls of the United States and Canada

Owls of the United States and Canada PDF Author:
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 0801886872
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 265

Get Book

Book Description
In this gorgeous book, celebrated natural history writer and wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch reveals the secrets of owls with stunning photographs, personal anecdotes, and accessible science. The photos alone are masterpieces--the vast majority were taken in the wild. From the great horned to the tiny elf owl, this amazing volume captures the beauty and mystery of these charismatic birds of prey.Johns Hopkins University Press

Tufted Titmouse

Tufted Titmouse PDF Author: Thomas C. Grubb
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 9780811729673
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 100

Get Book

Book Description
Ornithologist Thomas Grubb explores the habitat and activity of this sprightly backyard visitor and its relationships within the bird community and with its human neighbors. Full-color photographs illustrate the full range of the bird's life and behavior, including courtship, nesting, fledging, communicating, and flying. This up-close, in-depth natural history of a popular species makes an excellent resource for all birders. 135 color photos.

Songbird Behavior and Conservation in the Anthropocene

Songbird Behavior and Conservation in the Anthropocene PDF Author: Darren S. Proppe
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000540294
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 407

Get Book

Book Description
Songbirds are often used as indicators of environmental health. From the canary in the coalmine, to shifts in demographics and population patterns, birds tell us when things are not well. More often than not, these observable trends are a result of adaptive behavior that has evolved over many generations. Understanding foundation concepts of songbird behavior, including the rate at which behavioral changes occur and the limits of plasticity, is a requirement for anyone interested in sustaining healthy songbird populations in the Anthropocene. Yet, our world is changing rapidly. Can songbirds adapt quickly enough to keep up? Observed declines in many species worldwide suggest that the answer is no. To avoid extinction for many species, our conservation strategies must be broader and more intentional. For example, are there ways to actively manage habitats so that vital cue-response systems are kept intact? Anthropogenic factors are also altering how birds select mates and habitats, sometimes in ways that decrease fitness. Can biologists actively manipulate behavior to mitigate these mismatches? The first goal of this book is to educate academics and managers alike about the foundational behaviors that drive songbird activity and demographic patterns. Topics such as migration, habitat selection, communication, etc., are explored by renown songbird biologist to bring the reader up to speed on the latest advancements in the field. However, each author is also versed in the principles of conservation. The second goal of this book is to explore the current issues that songbirds face in an increasingly anthropic world – and to discuss the role of behavior in the development of management solutions. By broadening our conservation toolkit, we can be more prepared to manage songbird populations and communities within the environmental challenges of the Anthropocene.

Oak Seed Dispersal

Oak Seed Dispersal PDF Author: Michael A. Steele
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421439026
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 480

Get Book

Book Description
The definitive examination of oak forest evolutionary ecology. Seed dispersal is a critical stage in the life cycle of most flowering plants. The process can have far-reaching effects on a species' biology, especially numerous aspects of its ecology and evolution. This is particularly the case for the oaks, in which the dispersal of the acorn is tied to numerous tree characteristics, as well as the behavior and ecology of the animals that feed on and move these seeds to their final destination. Forest structure, composition, and genetics often follow directly from the dispersal process—while also influencing it in turn. In Oak Seed Dispersal, Michael A. Steele draws on three decades of field research across the globe (e.g., the United States, Mexico, Central America, Europe, and China) to describe the interactions between oaks and their seed consumers. Rodents, birds, and insects, he writes, collectively influence the survival, movement, and germination of acorns, as well as the establishment of seedlings, often indicating a coevolutionary bond between oaks and their seed consumers. This bond can only be understood by unraveling the complex interactions that occur in the context of factors such as partial seed consumption due to acorn chemistry, scatterhoarding, predation of the seed consumers by other organisms, and the limiting effects of masting on insect, rodent, and jay damage. Offering new insights on how animal-mediated dispersal drives ecological and evolutionary processes in forest ecosystems, Oak Seed Dispersal also includes an overview of threatened oak forests across the globe and explains how a lack of acorn dispersal contributes to many important conservation challenges. Highly illustrated, the book includes photographs of key dispersal organisms and tactics, as well as a foreword by Stephen B. Vander Wall, a leading authority on food hoarding and animal-mediated seed dispersal, and beautiful artwork by Tad C. Theimer, also an accomplished ecologist.

Issues in Ecological Research and Application: 2011 Edition

Issues in Ecological Research and Application: 2011 Edition PDF Author:
Publisher: ScholarlyEditions
ISBN: 1464964092
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 2011

Get Book

Book Description
Issues in Ecological Research and Application: 2011 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Ecological Research and Application. The editors have built Issues in Ecological Research and Application: 2011 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Ecological Research and Application in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Issues in Ecological Research and Application: 2011 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.