Male Colour Type And Lifetime Breeding Success In The Pied Flycatcher Ficedula Hypoleuca

Thanks to long-term studies of marked individuals, information is now available on the lifetime reproduction of many bird species. This book brings together results from most of these studies and presents much new information and many new analyses of classic data sets.

The Pied Flycatcher is one of Europe's best-studied species. The first detailed work on it was begun in the 1930s by German ornithologists, but it was Lars von Haartman's Finnish study that both established long-term research on the species and founded many of the central themes of modern ornithology. Soon after, in the late 1940s, Bruce Campbell set up an intensive project in southwest England, which also still runs to this day. Many other eminent ornithologists followed and in 1979 Arne Lundberg and Rauno Alatalo started their own work in Sweden, Finland and latterly the north of England. A Palaearctic migrant, the Pied Flycatcher is notable for its very variable male plumage and complex territorial and polygynous breeding system. They take readily to nest boxes and have provided excellent opportunities for the study of a wide range of biological problems. This broad review of the species provides not only a detailed biology of this fascinating little bird, but a commentary on many of the most interesting problems in bird behaviour and ecology. Illustrated by Tomas Part.

Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date, scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of current research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review (1) fields in which an abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, or (2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, or (3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.

The existing theories on the evolution of senescence assume that senescence is inevitable in all organisms. However, recent studies have shown that this is not necessarily true. A better understanding of senescence and its underlying mechanisms could have far-reaching consequences for conservation and eco-evolutionary research. This book is the first to offer interdisciplinary perspectives on the evolution of senescence in many species, setting the stage for further developments. It brings together new insights from a wide range of scientific fields and cutting-edge research done on a multitude of different animals (including humans), plants and microbes, giving the reader a complete overview of recent developments and of the controversies currently surrounding the topic. Written by specialists from a variety of disciplines, this book is a valuable source of information for students and researchers interested in ageing and life history traits and populations.