North American Passerine Birds Research Articles

Ecology and Management of Cowbirds and Their Hosts: Studies in the Conservation of North American Passerine Birds. James N. M. Smith, Terry L. Cook , Stephen I. Rothstein , Scott K. Robinson , Spencer G. Sealy

Previous articleNext article No AccessNew Biological BooksEcology and Management of Cowbirds and Their Hosts: Studies in the Conservation of North American Passerine Birds. James N. M. Smith, Terry L. Cook , Stephen I. Rothstein , Scott K. Robinson , Spencer G. Sealy Mark E. HauberMark E. Hauber Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Quarterly Review of Biology Volume 76, Number 2Jun., 2001 Published in association with Stony Brook University Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/393936 Views: 1Total views on this site Copyright 2001 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Ecology and management of cowbirds and their hosts: studies in the conservation of North American passerine birds

Ecology and management of cowbirds and their hosts: studies in the conservation of North American passerine birds

Carotenoids and Sexual Dichromatism in North American Passerine Birds

Sexual dichromatism and the extent of male carotenoid-derived plumage coloration in breeding season North American passerine birds was analyzed by phylogenetic statistical methods. Passerines as a whole and five passerine subclades were analyzed by both independent contrasts and simulation methods. In passerines as a whole, carotenoids and sexual dichromatism are positively correlated irrespective of analysis method. In three of the subclades, the correlations are significant by a clear majority of analysis methods. Neither melanin nor structurally derived colors show similar significant increases with dichromatism. Carotenoids are obtained by animals solely through the diet, whereas both melanins and structurally derived colors can be synthesized. The relationship between sexual dichromatism and the use of carotenoids in plumage suggests that sexual selection may have promoted the expression of a condition-dependent honest indicator of phenotypic quality.

Rarity in North American Passerine Birds

Rare species are typically identified by their small geographic range, very low local abundance, or a combination of these two attributes (Rabinowitz 1981; Rabinowitz et al. 1986). However, range size and local abundance are generally not independent of each other, at least when homogeneous taxonomic assemblages are examined across large areas (Bock & Ricklefs 1983; Brown 1984; Arita et al. 1990; Ford 1990; Gaston & Lawton 1990; Lawton 1993; but see Rabinowitz et al. 1986). Direct comparisons between these two parameters are complicated by the fact that range size by definition is a single parameter that pertains to the species as a whole, while local abundance can be measured at many sites throughout the range and, as is well known, often assumes a wide range of values (Hengeveld & Haeck 1982; Rapoport 1982; Brown 1984; Lawton 1993; Mehlman, unpublished data). Therefore, rarity must be examined in the context of the entire spatial distribution of abundance within the range, and it is this distribution that should be examined for correlations

BEHAVIORAL DEFENSES AGAINST AVIAN BROOD PARASITISM IN SYMPATRIC AND ALLOPATRIC HOST POPULATIONS.

The brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a widespread, obligate brood parasite of North American passerine birds. In southern Manitoba, where hosts are sympatric with cowbirds, American robins (Turdus migratorius) ejected parasitic eggs from all experimentally parasitized clutches (N = 25) and no eggs were accepted for more than four days. In contrast, robins in northern Manitoba, an area where cowbirds do not breed, accepted parasitic eggs in 33% of nests (N = 18) for at least five days. Acceptance of experimental cowbird eggs by a second host, the yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia), was similar in allopatric (100% of 20 nests) and sympatric (88.6% of 35 nests) populations, but models of a female cowbird elicited greater nest defense by warblers in the area of sympatry. Neither host rejected eggs of conspecifics, thus, rejection of cowbird eggs was not an epiphenomenon of conspecific brood parasitism. These results support the hypothesis that recognition of cowbirds and their eggs evolved as adaptations to counter cowbird parasitism and not some other selection pressure. The expression of anti-parasite defenses by some individuals within allopatric populations further suggests these traits may be controlled genetically but persist in such areas either through the continued introgression of rejecter genes from sympatric populations or because of the low cost of rejection behavior when parasitism is absent or rare.

Sperm size and sperm competition in birds.

In a sample of 20 species of North American passerine birds we found no relation between sperm size and mating system like that previously reported in mammals (Gomendio & Roldan (Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 243, 181 (1991)). Instead, we found a positive correlation between sperm length and the length of female sperm storage tubules (SSTS) and a negative correlation between sperm length and the number of SSTS. Both of these correlations suggest that the more than fivefold variation in sperm size we found among species can be explained by sperm competition for access to storage sites (SSTS) in females. As longer sperm appear to be able to swim faster, selection should favour long sperm when SSTS are in short supply; sperm long enough to fill an SST might also prevent access to SSTS by the sperm of other males. Conversely, selection should favour shorter sperm when there is an advantage to sperm layering within an SST promoting a last-male mating advantage. Although we conclude that sperm competition influences sperm size in birds, little is known about the interactions between sperm and SSTS. It seems clear, however, that detailed study of this interaction will provide a new dimension to the study of avian mating systems.

Passerine Polygyny: A Role for Parasites?

Using sister-taxon comparisons to control for the effects of phylogeny, I show for European and North American passerine birds that the proportion of individuals infected with blood parasites is significantly lower in polygynous species than it is in monogamous species. This remains so even after controlling for the effects of body length, sampling effort, latitude, migratory behavior, habitat, nest type, dispersion, and height, diet, and male parental effort in nest building, incubation, and feeding offspring. Several potential explanations of this association are discussed. One possibility is that polygynous species are, on average, more resistant to hematozoa infection. This could arise if there is heritable variation in resistance and if polygyny results in resistant males obtaining more mates. Females in polygynous species might settle with already-mated resistant males rather than unmated, less resistant males if they choose males resistant to parasites currently invading the population or if their ...

Reassessment of comparative evidence for Hamilton and Zuk theory on the evolution of secondary sexual characters

HAMILTON and Zuk1 proposed that elaborate secondary sexual characters may have evolved because they act as cues in mate choice by revealing the health of a potential mate. From this theory, they derived the prediction that species which are more liable to parasitic infection should possess well-developed secondary sexual characters. They went on to demonstrate a positive association between prevalence of haematozoa and plumage brightness across species of North American passerine birds. Subsequent analyses by one of us2 on the same colour data confirmed that the relationship with male brightness existed even when the effects of phylogenetic associations were taken into account. The relationship was also found across European passerines when behavioural and ecological correlates of colour and phytogeny were accounted for2. Here, using independently derived plumage brightness scores, we question these conclusions.

Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda) as an Intermediate Host of Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus (Acanthocephala) and Isopod Response to Infection

Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda) fed eggs of Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus (Acanthocephala) differed with age in resistance to the parasite. Only 9.2% of the isopods more than 1 year old and longer than 9.5 mm became infected, but 71.4% of those less than 9 mo old and shorter than 8.6 mm developed infections. Adult isopods had a thicker alimentary canal intima than did juveniles, mounted a hemocyte response that killed acanthors in the gut epithelium, melanized the parasites, and developed an increase in hemolymph protein component. Juveniles made none of these responses. These factors are thought to account for the difference in susceptibility of juvenile and adult isopods. Plagiorhynchus formosus Van Cleave, 1918, an acanthocephalan species common in many North American passerine birds, is now considered conspecific with P. cylindraceus (Goeze, 1782) Schmidt and Kuntz, 1966, of Europe and other global localities (Schmidt, 1981). The life cycle of this species has been described previously. Sinitsin (in Christie, 1929) found a cystacanth of P. cylindraceus in one of several pill bugs, Armadillidium vulgare (Latreille, 1804) Budde-Lund, 1885, collected near Washington, D.C. Without details, Thompson (1934) incidentally stated that unidentified acanthocephalan larvae occurred in three species of terrestrial isopods (A. vulgare, Philoscia muscorum, and Porcellio scaber) and Dollfus and Dalens (1960) found 11 A. vulgare infected with juvenile P. cylindraceus in France. Although they found cystacanths of P. cylindraceus in only of 1,500 isopods from the vicinity of Fort Collins, Colorado, Schmidt and Olsen (1964) were able to produce laboratory infections in A. vulgare and confirmed that cystacanths from isopods were infective to birds. They did not, however, report the intensity or percentage of laboratory infection achieved in isopods. Our examination of 125 and 350 adult A. vulgare from Lincoln, Nebraska, and Harlingen, Texas, respectively, revealed no P. cylindraceus. In addition to the extremely low prevalence of natural infections, Schmidt and Olsen (1964) found a cellular response to invading P. cylinReceived 1 June 1981; revised 16 November 1981; accepted 7 March 1982. * Present address: Department of Biology, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, Nebraska 68504. draceus larvae in the tissues of the terrestrial isopod. They reported an initial increase in the thickness of the intima of the gut wall, and an accumulation of hemocytes at the penetration site, with some continued hemocyte activity surrounding the acanthella in the he-

Delayed Maturation in Passerine Plumages and the Deceptive Acquisition of Resources

We propose that the female-like plumage worn by some male birds in their first potential breeding season has evolved to facilitate breeding when 1-yr old through the deception of older males. By mimicking females 1-yr-old males exploit the tendency of old males not to attack females and, thus, are able to enter better quality habitats. Once subadults settle in such habitats, they hold territories in them by site dominance. An hypothesis invoking deception seems necessary because the cryptic hypothesis, which suggests that subadults are hiding from predators, cannot explain why subadult males of sexually dichromatic species always resemble females in every way by which they differ from older males. If the cryptic hypothesis were sufficient, subadult males should resemble juveniles in species for which the juvenile plumage is more cryptic than that of breeding females. Female mimicry should evolve (1) when competition for breeding resources is rigged against 1-yr-old males, (2) when obtaining a mate depends upon holding female-worthy resources, and (3) when females are limiting to males. Fitness set models suggest that individual variation in subadult appearance is evolutionarily stable only when broad gradients are established between high and low quality habitats. Using North American passerine birds, we have confirmed the following predictions from this theory. (1) Spring arrival times for 1-yr-old and older males should be nonoverlapping in species with subadult plumages. (2) Where a subadult plumage exists 1-yr-old males should more often be good mimics of females than intermediate in appearance. (3) Female limitation will favor the evolution of female mimicry in 1-yr-old males. (4) High variance in habitat quality favors subadult plumages; this holds both within and between species. (5) When a habitat gradient is abrupt and there is enough optimal breeding habitat, subadults must be better female mimics than when the gradient from good to poor habitat is gradual.

Arthropod parasites of passerine birds from South Bass Island, Ohio.

The parasitic arthropods of North American passerine birds have been the object of numerous faunistic studies. Seldom, however, have the birds from a well-defined area been investigated intensively. In Ohio, the mallophagan fauna was surveyed by Peters (1928, Ohio J. Sci. 28 : 215–28; 1933, Bird-Banding 4 : 68–75; 1936, Bird-Banding 7 : 9–27) and Geist (1931, Ohio J. Sci. 31 : 505–09). The arthropod fauna of Red-wing Blackbirds ( Agelaius phoeniceus ) in central Ohio was investigated by Spory (1965, Ohio J. Sci. 65 : 49–59). More recently, the arthropod parasites of the Brown-headed Cowbird ( Molothrus ater ) in Ohio were surveyed by Cooper & Troutman (1974, J. Med. Ent. 11 : 233) and those of the Common Grackle ( Quiscalus quiscula versicolor ) in Ohio by Cooper, Madden & Crites (1975, J. Med. Ent. 12 : 262). This report is concerned with the incidence of parasitic arthropods collected from passerine birds which form a mixed flock association during the spring and summer months on South Bass Island, Ottawa County, Ohio.

Mating Systems, Sexual Dimorphism, and the Role of Male North American Passerine Birds in the Nesting Cycle Jared Verner Mary F. Willson

Mating Systems, Sexual Dimorphism, and the Role of Male North American Passerine Birds in the Nesting Cycle Jared Verner Mary F. Willson

Mating Systems, Sexual Dimorphism, and the Role of Male North American Passerine Birds in the Nesting Cycle

Mating Systems, Sexual Dimorphism, and the Role of Male North American Passerine Birds in the Nesting Cycle

The Influence of Habitats on Mating Systems of North American Passerine Birds

Regardless of sex ratio, a polygynous mating is expected to be adaptive for the females as well as for the male. Two possible selective bases for the evolution of polygyny are considered: 1) One male may make it advantageous to several females to mate with him by appropriating a large share of a limited number of nest sites. 2) When a large share of the food for the young is obtained from the territory, local variations in food availability could influence the mating system. Given a sufficient minimum level of food supply, the difference in food availability between two males' territories may be great enough to permit a female to rear more young on the better territory, unaided by her mate, than she could on the poorer one even with full assistance from her mate. In this case, selection would favor a female pairing with the male on the better territory, even if this meant establishing a polygynous association. Fourteen of 291 species of North American passerine birds have been reported to be regularly polygynous or promiscuous. Thirteen of the 14 breed in marshes, prairies, or savannah—like habitats, where productivity resulting from solar energy is concentrated into a narrow vertical belt; that in a forest is spread unevenly over a broad vertical belt. Thus, the density of productivity–and of avian food sources–is potentially much greater in marshes and prairies than in forests. Hence, marshes and prairies are more likely than forests to present the minimum requisite food supply and sufficiently great differences in available food between territories for selection to favor polygyny.

The Carolina Wren; a Year of Its Life

Previous articleNext article FreeThe Carolina Wren; a Year of Its LifeCharles C. AbbottCharles C. Abbott Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The American Naturalist Volume 18, Number 1Jan., 1884 Published for The American Society of Naturalists Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/273562 Views: 59Total views on this site Citations: 1Citations are reported from Crossref PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Jared Verner, Mary F. Willson Mating Systems, Sexual Dimorphism, and the Role of Male North American Passerine Birds in the Nesting Cycle, Ornithological Monographs , no.99 (Jan 1969): 1–76.https://doi.org/10.2307/40166683

Californian Garden Birds

Previous articleNext article FreeCalifornian Garden BirdsJ. G. CooperJ. G. Cooper Search for more articles by this author PDF Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The American Naturalist Volume 10, Number 2Feb., 1876 Published for The American Society of Naturalists Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/271588 Views: 28 Citations: 1Citations are reported from Crossref Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Jared Verner, Mary F. Willson Mating Systems, Sexual Dimorphism, and the Role of Male North American Passerine Birds in the Nesting Cycle, Ornithological Monographs , no.99 (Jan 1969): 1–76.https://doi.org/10.2307/40166683