Synopsis II: Parid reproductive behavior

• Other Authors: Mennill, Daniel J. (Author), Burg, Theresa M. (Author), Curry, Robert L. (Author), Martin, Kathy (Author), Norris, Andrea R. (Author), Ratcliffe, Laurene (Author), Reudink, Matthew W. (Author), Rossano, Lindsay M. (Author), Schubert, Kristin A. (Author)
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 2007
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Chickadee; Queen Charlotte; Ice Sheet; Alaska
• Online Access: https://arcabc.ca/islandora/object/tru%3A6272; https://academic.oup.com/book/26173/chapter-abstract/194274271; https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198569992.003.0011

North American Parids are excellent organisms for research on the evolution of avian reproductive behavior, and how these are influenced by intra-and interspecific interactions. As cavity-nesting birds, they exhibit high reproductive success and populations of most Parid species exist in high numbers throughout their range. As social birds, their reproductive behavior is shaped by group dynamics, including flock hierarchy and territorial behavior. Being non-migratory, their behavior can be studied throughout the year, and their breeding activities can be easily related to their non-breeding activities. This section of the book covers a diversity of topics within the general field of Parid reproductive behavior, using ongoing research on several species of North American chickadees. The various chapters discuss: phylogenetic structure within populations, hybridization between closely related species, nesting ecology, and the influence of social dominance on reproductive biology. Chapter 6 examines the phylogenetic structure of chestnut-backed chickadee populations in western North America and compares the resulting patterns to those found in other North American and Eurasian Parids. Chestnut-backed chickadees are associated with cedar–hemlock ecosystems, and their movement into an area is dependent on the availability of suitable habitat. Much of the chestnut-backed chickadee's current range was glaciated during the Pleistocene and was recolonized following the retreat of the Cordilleran ice sheet. Four genetically distinct groups are recognized: Queen Charlotte Islands; southeastern British Columbia; mainland Alaska; and a large coastal group. Several scenarios may explain the current distribution patterns found in chestnut-backed chickadees: multiple colonizations from a single refugium, colonization from multiple refugia, or a single colonization from a single refugium and possible introgression. Northern populations possess a large number of alleles that are absent in other populations, indicative of ...