Economic models predominate in life history research, which investigates the allocation of
an organism's resources to growth, reproduction, and maintenance. These approaches …

One of the common assumptions in the study of the evolution of parental care is that trade‐
offs exist between parental investment and other fitness‐related traits. In general, this body …

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 …

In order to explain the huge variation in parental behaviour, evolutionary biologists have
traditionally used a cost–benefit approach, which enables them to analyse behavioural traits …

Variation between and within individuals in life history traits is ubiquitous in natural
populations. When affecting fitness‐related traits such as survival or reproduction, individual …

Aerial drones are increasingly being used as tools for ecological research and wildlife
monitoring in hard-to-access study systems, such as in studies of colonial-nesting birds …

Optimality theory predicts that both timing of arrival and arrival state on the breeding area
will determine reproductive timing and investment in migratory organisms. We tested this …

For birds, unpredictable environments during the energetically stressful times of moulting
and breeding are expected to have negative fitness effects. Detecting those effects however …

Male care has energetic and opportunity costs, and is more likely to evolve when males gain
greater certainty of paternity or when future mating opportunities are scarce. However, little …

Individuals breeding in seasonal environments are under strong selection to time
reproduction to match offspring demand and the quality of the post-natal environment …