Current Ornithology, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2001 Current Ornithology Series, Vol. 16

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 abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, 2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, and 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.

1 Avian Coloniality: Progress and Problems.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Historical Background.- 3. Phylogenetic Analyses.- 4. Limitation of Breeding Sites.- 5. The Costs and Benefits of Coloniality.- 6. Social Foraging and Coloniality.- 7. Reproductive Success and Habitat Selection.- 8. Sexual Selection and Coloniality.- 9. Variation in Colony Size.- 10. Prospectus.- References.- 2 Begging in Nestling Birds.- 1. Parent–Offspring Conflict.- 2. The Importance of Signaling.- 3. Begging Signals.- 4. Begging as Competition among Nestmates.- 5. The Importance of Offspring Sex.- 6. The Role of Biparental Care.- 7. An Alternative Perspective.- 8. Conclusions.- References.- 3 Ecological Aspects of Neophobia and Neophilia in Birds.- 1. Introduction.- 2. How Neophobia and Neophilia Are Studied.- 3. What Determines the Intensity of Neophobia and Neophilia in Adult Birds.- 4. Exploration in Juvenile Birds.- 5. Comparative Studies of Neophobia and Exploration.- 6. Conclusions and Future Directions.- References.- 4 Avian Quantitative Genetics.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Components of Phenotypic Variation.- 3. Tools of the Trade.- 4. Empirical Data.- 5. Maternal Effects.- 6. Extra-Pair Paternity.- 7. Quantitative Genetics of Fitness.- 8. Genotype-Environment Interactions.- 9. Genetic Basis of Population Differentiation.- 10. Applications of Quantitative Genetics to Avian Evolution.- 11. Further Prospects.- 12. Conclusions.- References.- 5 Male Parental Care and Paternity.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Theoretical Models.- 3. Field Studies: Testing Predictions and Assumptions.- 4. Interspecific Analyses.- 5. Conclusions and Future Directions.- References.- 6 Physiological Ecology and Behavior of Desert Birds.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Energy.- 3. Water.- 4. Thermoregulation.- 5. Optimization Processes.- 6.Summary.- References.- 7 Reproductive Energy Expenditure, Intraspecific Variation and Fitness in Birds.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Is Reproduction Energetically Costly, and at What Stage Is It Most Costly?.- 3. Intraspecific Variation in Daily Energy Expenditure: Biological Variation or Measurement Error?.- 4. Repeatability of Daily Energy Expenditure Measurements.- 5. Individual, Environmental, and Activity-Related Correlates of DEE.- 6. Metabolic Rate and Body Mass: Intraspecific versus Interspecific Scaling.- 7. Relationships between DEE and Measures of Reproductive Effort or Fitness.- 8. Conclusions and Recommendations for Future Research.- References.