Month: May 2026

Behind the paper

Rosalee Elting | How low can they go? How hummingbirds cope with dilute nectars

Can hummingbirds eat more than half their body weight per hour? In this week’s blog post, author Rosalee Elting answers that question for us! Based on their recent paper: “Foraging plasticity and physiological adaptations enable hummingbirds to subsist on dilute nectars”, Rosalee shares some of the fascinating results regarding energy expenditure in hungry hummingbirds. Outside of her captivating love for our little energy filled birds, … Continue reading Rosalee Elting | How low can they go? How hummingbirds cope with dilute nectars

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Behind the paper

Maria Vittoria Mazzamuto | When traits don’t translate: Rethinking success in city-dwelling squirrels 

In this week’s blog post, the old saying remains the same; we are products of our environments! From their paper: “Functional trait interactions in a human-dominated world: Urbanization and reproduction in Eurasian red squirrels”, author Maria Vittoria Mazzamuto examines reproductive behavioural traits in Eurasian red squirrels to understand how they have adapted from forest to urban landscapes. The authors undertook a three-year project assessing female reproductive rates and linking them to behavioural traits, like … Continue reading Maria Vittoria Mazzamuto | When traits don’t translate: Rethinking success in city-dwelling squirrels 

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Behind the paper

Paul Jans van Rensburg | Can other beetles replace lost cycad pollinators? Searching for clues in plant traits

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Paul Jans van Rensburg – a postdoctoral at Stellenbosch University – discusses his article “Pollinator diversity and host specificity in threatened Encephalartos cycads and their implications for co-extinction and species recovery“, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Paul discusses the loss of specialised pollinators and its implications, the importance of beetle pollinator taxonomy, and his long-standing … Continue reading Paul Jans van Rensburg | Can other beetles replace lost cycad pollinators? Searching for clues in plant traits

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Behind the paper

Manasa Kulkarni | What happens in a mutualism at the elemental level? New tools to study the interaction 

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Manasa Kulkarni, discusses the paper ‘Developing together: the elementome and biogeochemical niche of the mutualistic occupants of a fig microcosm’, which was recently published in Functional Ecology! Manasa delves into the fascinating world of mutualisms, protecting study fig trees from pests, and the role that field work plays in inspiring new research.  About the paper When any two species interact with each other and benefit from the interaction, the … Continue reading Manasa Kulkarni | What happens in a mutualism at the elemental level? New tools to study the interaction 

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Behind the paper

Nick Gulotta | To stay or to roam? Behavioural type influences trade-offs in male wild turkey survival

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Nick Gulotta – a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Georgia, USA – helps us get “familiar” with turkey behaviour! Discussing the article “To stay or to roam? Behavioural type influences trade-offs in male wild turkey survival“, Nick delves into how the benefits of familiarity for turkeys depend on the threats they face, the process of tagging … Continue reading Nick Gulotta | To stay or to roam? Behavioural type influences trade-offs in male wild turkey survival

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