Parents affect offspring fitness by propagule size and quality, selection of oviposition site,
quality of incubation, feeding of dependent young, and their defence against predators and …

Nest predation is a key source of selection for birds that has attracted increasing attention
from ornithologists. The inclusion of new concepts applicable to nest predation that stem …

Physiological Adaptations for Breeding in Birds is the most current and comprehensive
account of research on avian reproduction. It develops two unique themes: the consideration …

Carotenoids are among the most prevalent pigments used in animal signals and are also
important for a range of physiological functions. These concomitant roles have made …

Malarial parasites are supposed to have strong negative fitness consequences for their
hosts, but relatively little evidence supports this claim due to the difficulty of experimentally …

Chick viability is known to be an important factor determining profitability of the poultry
industry. Chick embryo tissues contain a high proportion of highly polyunsaturated fatty …

The past 30 years of immunological research have revealed much about the proximate
mechanisms of maternal antibody transmission and utilization, but have not adequately …

Organisms frequently encounter stressful ecological conditions. In vertebrates, a major
mechanism of physiological response to stress is mediated by the hypothalamic–pituitary …

Female birds incur costs associated with increased egg production, including reductions in
chick provisioning ability, in future fecundity, in survival, and in egg and chick viability. It …

Several classes of pigments impart flamboyant colours on animals, including the red, orange
and yellow carotenoids. Carotenoid-based colours have served as ideal models for studying …