Tag: behavioural ecology

Behind the paper

Tim Forrester: Weight loss in female birds – an adaptive strategy

In this blog post, Tim Forrester helps answer a weighty question: Does weight loss help or hurt nesting birds? Based on his recent paper with Tom Martin, “Observational and experimental evidence that rapid mass loss is consistent with the flight efficiency hypothesis and not caused by reproductive effort in three passerine bird species”, Tim shares the fascinating physiological adaptations undergone by songbirds in anticipation of … Continue reading Tim Forrester: Weight loss in female birds – an adaptive strategy

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Behind the paper

James Mouton: Red-breasted nuthatches smear sap around their nest entrances to protect against predators

James and team tap into the behavioural dynamics of red-breasted nuthatches and their use of conifer resin (sap). In their paper “Behavioural co-option of plant secondary compounds by a cavity-nesting bird is an adaptation against competition and predation”, James studies the how and why of nuthatch nesting behaviour and their apparent love for sticky, smelly conifer resin! On top of a delightful explanation on the … Continue reading James Mouton: Red-breasted nuthatches smear sap around their nest entrances to protect against predators

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Behind the paper

Korbinian Pacher: Understanding the dynamics behind prey motion and the performance of non-kin related group hunting predators in the open ocean.

In our latest post, Korbinian Pacher takes us out to hunt as he share insight behind the paper: “Evidence for a by-product mutualism in a group hunter depends on prey movement state”. Korbinian explains how striped marlin groups hunt schools of sardine and opens our eyes to the endless possibilities of studying behavioural ecology in the open ocean, using aerial vehicles no less!    About the … Continue reading Korbinian Pacher: Understanding the dynamics behind prey motion and the performance of non-kin related group hunting predators in the open ocean.

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Behind the paper

Austin Allison: Ground squirrels hibernate to avoid predation, but not at the expense of reproductive opportunities

Austin Allison—a PhD student at Colorado State University and recent MS graduate from the University of Idaho—discusses his recently accepted paper: “Why hibernate? Tests of four hypotheses to explain intraspecific variation in hibernation phenology.” About the Paper Why do animals hibernate? I—like many people—assumed I knew the answer to that question. Animals obviously hibernate to avoid seasonally unsuitable environmental conditions such as freezing temperatures and … Continue reading Austin Allison: Ground squirrels hibernate to avoid predation, but not at the expense of reproductive opportunities

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Behind the paper, Podcast transcripts

Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life history transitions to oceanographic conditions: Podcast Transcript

In this podcast for Functional Ecology, Assistant Editor, Frank Harris, sits down with William K. Oestreich—a postdoctoral fellow at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, USA—to discuss his recently published paper ‘Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life history transitions to oceanographic conditions’. Will’s paper suggests that blue whales use flexible cues, perhaps including individual sensing of food availability and social information from other individuals (blue … Continue reading Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life history transitions to oceanographic conditions: Podcast Transcript

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Behind the paper, Translation

Thierry Grandmont: Le stress expérimental dans la migration influence la décision de se reproduire ou non

Dans cette nouvelle publication, Thierry Grandmont, un étudiant au doctorat à l’Université Laval, discute de son article récemment accepté “Should I breed or should I go? Manipulating individual state during migration influences breeding decisions in a long-lived bird species”. Il discute du lien entre la reproduction et la migration, des défis (et opportunités!) d’effectuer de la recherche pendant la pandémie et de comment l’observation d’oiseaux … Continue reading Thierry Grandmont: Le stress expérimental dans la migration influence la décision de se reproduire ou non

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Behind the paper

Thierry Grandmont: Experimental stress in migration influences decision to breed or not

In this new post, Thierry Grandmont—a Ph.D. candidate at Laval University, Quebec, Canda—discusses with us his recently accepted paper, “Should I breed or should I go? Manipulating individual state during migration influences breeding decisions in a long-lived bird species.” He talks about the link between breeding and migration, challenges (and opportunities!) of conducting research during the pandemic, and how birdwatching was a formative experience. Une … Continue reading Thierry Grandmont: Experimental stress in migration influences decision to breed or not

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Behind the paper

Hannah Meier: Transgenerational behavioral plasticity in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

In this new post, Hannah Meier from Reed College (USA), presents her work ‘Temperature mediated transgenerational plasticity influences movement behavior in the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii’. She highlights the importance of historical effects on organisms, discusses the implications of climate change, and emphasizes the importance of good mentorship in STEM. Eine Deutsche übersetzung dieses artikels ist hier verfügbar! About the Paper In this paper we … Continue reading Hannah Meier: Transgenerational behavioral plasticity in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

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Behind the paper, Translation

Hannah Meier: Transgenerational behavioral plasticity in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (German translation)

Hannah Meier, Reed College, Portland USA, erläutert in diesem Artikel ihre Arbeit zu “Temperature mediated transgenerational plasticity influences movement behavior in the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.” Dabei hebt sie die Bedeutung der Erfahrungen- am Beispiel der Algen – aus der Vergangenheit für unsere Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten in der Gegenwart hervor und zeigt die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf. An English version of this blogpost is available here! Über … Continue reading Hannah Meier: Transgenerational behavioral plasticity in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (German translation)

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Behind the paper

Robin Hare: Notes on a pollen-based sexual economy

In our latest blogpost, Dr. Robin Hare, Tutor at the University of Western Australia and Senior Biologist at Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, discusses with us his recently published paper in Functional Ecology: “Evolutionary divergence via sexual selection acting on females in a species with sex role reversal.” About the paper Our paper is about how ecology and evolution uniquely affect females in a species of bushcricket … Continue reading Robin Hare: Notes on a pollen-based sexual economy

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