Hybridization and introgression can promote adaptive potential and evolutionary resilience in response to increased pressures of climate change; they can also disrupt local adaptation and lead to outbreeding depression. We investigated female fitness consequences of hybridization in two sister species that are endemic to a threatened tidal marsh ecosystem: Saltmarsh (Ammospiza...
Documenting and understanding sex-specific variation in migratory phenology is important for predicting avian population dynamics. In spring, males often arrive on the breeding grounds before females (protandry), though whether these patterns result from fitness benefits vs. sex-specific constraints on arrival timing remains poorly understood. Sex-specific variation in the timing...
Birds are known for their brilliant colors and extraordinary patterns. Sightings of individuals with atypical plumage often cause considerable excitement in the birding public, but receive little attention beyond reporting one-off sightings by the scientific community. In this Perspective, we argue that sightings of individuals with atypical plumage submitted to community science...
Robert (Bob) William Nero, accomplished naturalist, ornithologist, ethologist, conservationist, archaeologist, writer, and poet, died January 23, 2023, in Winni
Leonard (Lenny) Freed, long-time faculty member in zoology at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UH Manoa) and known for his research on the effects of avian m
Timing of seasonal bird migrations is broadly determined by internal biological clocks, which are synchronized by photoperiod, but individuals often refine their migratory timing decisions in response to external factors. Using 11 years of satellite telemetry data, we show that Pacific Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) at higher latitudes initiated spring and molt...
Given increasing evidence that climate change affects the annual cycles of birds, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying individual migration strategies and population-level patterns in partial migrants. In this study, we found that thermoregulation (body size and winter temperatures) was a key driver of American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) migration decisions...
In this study, we infer genus-level relationships within shrikes (Laniidae), crows (Corvidae), and their allies using ultraconserved elements (UCEs). We confirm previous results of the Crested Shrikejay (Platylophus galericulatus) as comprising its own taxonomic family and find strong support for its sister relationship to laniid shrikes. We also find strong support that the...
We explored the evolutionary radiation in the House Wren complex (Troglodytes aedon and allies), the New World’s most widely distributed passerine species. The complex has been the source of ongoing taxonomic debate. To evaluate phenotypic variation in the House Wren complex, we collected 81,182 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from restriction site associated loci (RADseq...
Anecdotal evidence suggests that lekking birds exhibit considerable variation in form and degree of sociality away from the lek, yet this phenomenon has received very little theoretical or empirical research attention. Here, we provide the first synthetic literature review of off-lek sociality in birds and develop a conceptual framework for the potential adaptive function of off...
Nest-site selection influences the survival of care-giving parents and their offspring, but search costs and site availability may limit site choices. Returning to previous nest sites may reduce costs and allow parents to better avoid local predators or access familiar resources. We investigated nest-site fidelity in the Lance-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata), in which...
We studied hybridization between the Black-crested and Tufted titmouse across two geographically distinct transects that differ in the timing of secondary contact by hundreds to thousands of years. We found that hybridization patterns correspond to localized hybrid swarms and that the titmouse hybrid zone is likely slowly expanding over time, a product of short post-natal...
The decision of when to breed is an important determinant of individual fitness. However, despite a multitude of studies investigating the intraspecific relationship between timing of breeding and reproductive performance, less is known about why the strength of this relationship varies between species. Furthermore, environmental change has the potential to alter the relationship...
C. Stuart Houston, a physician who also made major contributions in two other disciplines, ornithology and Canadian history, died July 22, 2021 in Saskatch
Dale Zimmerman, a professionally trained botanist who also made significant contributions to ornithology, died November 10, 2021. He was a long-time facult
Robert Guestier (Bobby) Goelet, a lifetime member (1952) and Patron of the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) (now the American Ornithological Society [A
One hundred fifty-six general notes were published in The Auk in 1922. Of those, 67% concerned distribution, with most sightings accompanied by notes. Anot
The Baltimore–Bullock’s Oriole hybrid zone is one of the best-studied avian hybrid zones in North America, yet our understanding of the causes of selection against hybrids remains poor. We examine if endohelminth parasites may cause selection against hybrid orioles but found no evidence for this hypothesis. Of the 139 male orioles we examined, 43 individuals contained...
Biodiversity research has advanced by testing expectations of ecological and evolutionary hypotheses through the linking of large-scale genetic, distributional, and trait datasets. The rise of molecular systematics over the past 30 years has resulted in a wealth of DNA sequences from around the globe. Yet, advances in molecular systematics also have created taxonomic instability...