DOCSLIB.ORG

Passerina Ciris)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Passerina Ciris) UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 8-2011 Phylogeography of a vanishing North American songbird: The painted bunting (Passerina ciris) Connie Ann Herr University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Behavior and Ethology Commons, Biodiversity Commons, Ornithology Commons, Population Biology Commons, and the Poultry or Avian Science Commons Repository Citation Herr, Connie Ann, "Phylogeography of a vanishing North American songbird: The painted bunting (Passerina ciris)" (2011). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 1318. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/3038776 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF A VANISHING NORTH AMERICAN SONGBIRD: THE PAINTED BUNTING (PASSERINA CIRIS) by Connie Ann Herr Bachelor of Science University of Nevada, Las Vegas 1988 Master of Science University of Nevada, Las Vegas 1991 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences College of Science Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas August 2011 Copyright by Connie Ann Herr 2011 All Rights Reserved THE GRADUATE COLLEGE We recommend the dissertation prepared under our supervision by Connie Ann Herr entitled Phylogeography of a Vanishing North American Songbird: The Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences Department of Life Sciences Brett Riddle, Committee Chair Daniel Thompson, Committee Member Lloyd Stark, Committee Member Mark Buttner, Graduate College Representative Ronald Smith, Ph. D., Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate College August 2011 ii ABSTRACT Phylogeography of a Vanishing North American Songbird: The Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) by Connie Ann Herr Dr. Brett Riddle, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Biological Sciences University of Nevada, Las Vegas Studies of genetic variation within and between species can provide insights into their evolutionary history as well as important information for conserving biodiversity. An understanding of population processes can assist in the conservation of biodiversity by contrasting current versus historical patterns, and the processes that have generated these patterns. Genetic differentiation often coincides with significant geological or climatic changes that have shaped the sizes and locations of the species geographic range and altered the connectivity between populations over time. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses can also provide a statistical framework for the investigation of how human processes such as habitat loss, population connectivity, overexploitation, and species introductions can affect biodiversity. Here, I employ a suite of phylogenetic and population genetic analyses to address several questions regarding the phylogenetic relationships of the Nearctic – Neotropical migratory songbird: the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris). The Painted Bunting breeds in the southeast and south central United States and winters in the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, Mexico and portions of Central America. The Atlantic Coast population of the Painted Bunting is a bird of considerable conservation concern. The biotic history of iii this part of North America has been examined using a wide variety of vertebrates. Many species have had their geographic ranges shift repeatedly during Pleistocene glaciations and many geographic features have been suggested as possible barriers to gene flow. I begin by reconstructing the phylogeny of the genus Passerina and three members of the closely related genus Cyanocompsa to address issues concerning the evolution of migration within the Passerina clade and the role, geographical source, and timing of range expansions within the Painted Bunting. Data presented herein support the hypotheses that the Painted Bunting split from its sister, the Varied Bunting approximately 1.5 – 2.1 million years ago during the Pleistocene and that the evolution of migration within the bunting phylogeny evolved independently two times. Additionally, the Painted Bunting is embedded within an otherwise sedentary clade of Mexican birds indicating that the Painted Buntings ancestor is of Mexican origin. Genetic analyses of populations within the breeding grounds indicate that the allopatric Painted Bunting populations diverged approximately 26,000 – 115,000 years ago and represent incipient species and as such the Atlantic Coast and interior populations should be recognized as separate management units. Hypotheses concerning the patterns of connection between the breeding and overwintering ranges also suggest a general separation between the Atlantic Coast breeding and Caribbean wintering areas from the interior breeding and Mexican/Central American wintering grounds. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank Dr. Brett Riddle for allowing me to finish my dissertation project under his guidance. I would also like to thank my other committee members Dr. Daniel Thompson, Dr. Lloyd Stark and Dr. Mark Buttner for their advice and support, as well as providing comments that have improved my dissertation manuscript. I thank Dr. Andrew Andres and Dr. Javier Rodriguez for their insights as well as their interest in my professional development. Dr. Stacy Mantooth spent countless hours mentoring me, in addition to being a great friend, and was a tremendous help throughout this degree. I am grateful for my friendship and support with Dr. Derek Houston and Dr. Eduardo Robleto throughout my graduate degree. I am especially grateful to Nicholle Booker for her never ending support and help during the last year of my degree. This research was supported, in part, by the Barrick Museum of Natural History, and the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Further support was provided by grants to me from the Graduate and Professional Student Association, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Many people provided invaluable help in the laboratory and in the field. I would like to especially thank Jeremy Batten, Jeff DaCosta, Scott and Terri Kacy, and Will and Carol Kacy. And finally I would like to thank my family. It is because of your strength, encouragement, and generosity that I have been able to accomplish everything in my life. I dedicate this milestone to my parents, whose love and support have carried me through life and it is because of them I have made it here. I thank my brother Rick for always being there and my sisters Polly and Linda for their ongoing support. Last but not least, I v express my deepest gratitude to Kyle Kacy whose endless love and encouragement gave me strength throughout the years. I am truly blessed to have such a great family. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER 2 GENETIC DIVERSITY WITHIN THE ALLOPATRIC BREEDING DISTRIBUTION OF THE PAINTED BUNTING (PASSERINA CIRIS) .. 13 Abstract .................................................................................................................... 13 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 14 Methods.................................................................................................................... 16 Results ...................................................................................................................... 22 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 26 CHAPTER 3 PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF THE PAINTED BUNTING (PASSERINA CIRIS): IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION AND EVOLUTION ............................................................................................. 42 Abstract .................................................................................................................... 42 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 43 Methods...................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 444 Yellowhammer Put Your Logo Here
    Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze Sponsor is needed. Write your name here 444 Yellowhammer Put your logo here Yellowhammer. Winter. Adult. Male (04-XI) Yellowhammer. Spring. Pattern of upperparts and YELLOWHAMMER (Emberiza citri- head: top male (Photo: nella) Ottenby Bird Observa- tory); bottom female IDENTIFICATION (Photo: Ottenby Bird Observatory). 14-18 cm. Breeding male with yellow head; reddish upperparts, brown streaked; chestnut- reddish rump and uppertail coverts, unstreaked; bluish bill; in winter similar to female. Female more brownish and streaked than male. Yellowhammer. Juvenile. Pattern of head (Photo: Ondrej Kauzal) and up- perparts (Photo: Alejan- dro Corregidor). SIMILAR SPECIES Male in breeding plumage unmistakable. Fe- Yellowhammer. Win- male similar to female Cirl Bunting which ter. Pattern of upper- has grey-olive rump and lacks pale patch on parts and head: top nape. Female Ortolan Bunting has brown rump male; bottom female. and grey-buff underparts. Juveniles Yellowham- mer are unmistakable due to their chestnut rump. http://blascozumeta.com Write your website here Page 1 Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze Sponsor is needed. Write your name here 444 Yellowhammer Put your logo here Yellowham- mer. Spring. Sexing. Pat- tern of head: top male (Photo: Ot- tenby Bird Observa- tory); bot- tom female (Photo: Ot- tenby Bird Observa- Cirl Bunting. Female tory). Yellowhammer. Spring. Sexing. Pattern of breast: Ortolan Bunting. 1st year. left male (Photo: Reinhard Vohwinkel); right female (Photo: Reinhard Vohwinkel). SEXING In breeding plumage, male with head and under- parts deep yellow. Female with head and under- parts brownish. After postbreeding/postjuvenile moults, adult male with crown feathers yellow on more than half length without a dark shaft streak.
    [Show full text]
  • Hudson River Birding Trail
    Species Sp Su F W Species Sp Su F W W Swans, Geese, and Ducks Eagles, Hawks (continued) Snow Goose Rough-legged Hawk Brant Golden Eagle Canada Goose * Falcons Mute Swan (I) * American Kestrel * Bird Checklist Wood Duck * Merlin * Gadwall * Gyrfalcon American Wigeon * Peregrine Falcon * American Black Duck * Rails, Gallinules, and Coots Hudson River Mallard * King Rail * Blue-winged Teal * Virginia Rail * Northern Shoveler Sora * Northern Pintail Common Moorhen * Birding Trail Green-winged Teal * American Coot * Canvasback Cranes Redhead Sandhill Crane Ring-necked Duck Plovers Greater Scaup Black-bellied Plover Lesser Scaup American Golden-Plover Surf Scoter Semipalmated Plover White-winged Scoter Killdeer * Black Scoter Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies Long-tailed Duck Greater Yellowlegs Bufflehead Lesser Yellowlegs Common Goldeneye Solitary Sandpiper Hooded Merganser * Spotted Sandpiper * Common Merganser * Upland Sandpiper Red-breasted Merganser Hudsonian Godwit Ruddy Duck Marbled Godwit Grouse, and Turkeys Red Knot Ring-necked Pheasant (I) * Sanderling Ruffed Grouse * Semipalmated Sandpiper Wild Turkey * Western Sandpiper Loons Least Sandpiper Red-throated Loon White-rumped Sandpiper Common Loon * Pectoral Sandpiper Grebes Dunlin Pied-billed Grebe * Stilt Sandpiper Horned Grebe Buff-breasted Sandpiper Red-necked Grebe Short-billed Dowitcher Cormorants Long-billed Dowitcher Double-crested Cormorant * Wilson’s Snipe * Great Cormorant American Woodcock * Bitterns, Herons Wilson’s Phalarope American Bittern * Red-necked Phalarope Least
    [Show full text]
  • The Quarterly Journal of Oregon Field Ornithology
    $4.95 The quarterly journal of Oregon field ornithology Volume 20, Number 4, Winter 1994 Oregon's First Verified Rustic Bunting 111 Paul Sherrell The Records of the Oregon Bird Records Committee, 1993-1994 113 Harry Nehls Oregon's Next First State Record Bird 115 Bill Tice What will be Oregon's next state record bird?.. 118 Bill Tice Third Specimen of Nuttall's Woodpecker {Picoides nuttallit) in Oregon from Jackson County and Comments on Earlier Records ..119 M. Ralph Browning Stephen P. Cross Identifying Long-billed Curlews Along the Oregon Coast: A Caution 121 Range D. Bayer Birders Add Dollars to Local Economy 122 Douglas Staller Where do chickadees get fur for their nests? 122 Dennis P. Vroman North American Migration Count 123 Pat French Some Thoughts on Acorn Woodpeckers in Oregon 124 George A. Jobanek NEWS AND NOTES OB 20(4) 128 FIELDNOTES. .131 Eastern Oregon, Spring 1994 131 Steve Summers Western Oregon, Spring 1994 137 Gerard Lillie Western Oregon, Winter 1993-94 143 Supplement to OB 20(3): 104, Fall 1994 Jim Johnson COVER PHOTO Clark's Nutcracker at Crater Lake, 17 April 1994. Photo/Skip Russell. CENTER OFO membership form OFO Bookcase Complete checklist of Oregon birds Oregon s Christmas Bird Counts Oregon Birds is looking for material in these categories: Oregon Birds News Briefs on things of temporal importance, such as meetings, birding trips, The quarterly journal of Oregon field ornithology announcements, news items, etc. Articles are longer contributions dealing with identification, distribution, ecology, is a quarterly publication of Oregon Field OREGON BIRDS management, conservation, taxonomy, Ornithologists, an Oregon not-for-profit corporation.
    [Show full text]
  • Birds of the East Texas Baptist University Campus with Birds Observed Off-Campus During BIOL3400 Field Course
    Birds of the East Texas Baptist University Campus with birds observed off-campus during BIOL3400 Field course Photo Credit: Talton Cooper Species Descriptions and Photos by students of BIOL3400 Edited by Troy A. Ladine Photo Credit: Kenneth Anding Links to Tables, Figures, and Species accounts for birds observed during May-term course or winter bird counts. Figure 1. Location of Environmental Studies Area Table. 1. Number of species and number of days observing birds during the field course from 2005 to 2016 and annual statistics. Table 2. Compilation of species observed during May 2005 - 2016 on campus and off-campus. Table 3. Number of days, by year, species have been observed on the campus of ETBU. Table 4. Number of days, by year, species have been observed during the off-campus trips. Table 5. Number of days, by year, species have been observed during a winter count of birds on the Environmental Studies Area of ETBU. Table 6. Species observed from 1 September to 1 October 2009 on the Environmental Studies Area of ETBU. Alphabetical Listing of Birds with authors of accounts and photographers . A Acadian Flycatcher B Anhinga B Belted Kingfisher Alder Flycatcher Bald Eagle Travis W. Sammons American Bittern Shane Kelehan Bewick's Wren Lynlea Hansen Rusty Collier Black Phoebe American Coot Leslie Fletcher Black-throated Blue Warbler Jordan Bartlett Jovana Nieto Jacob Stone American Crow Baltimore Oriole Black Vulture Zane Gruznina Pete Fitzsimmons Jeremy Alexander Darius Roberts George Plumlee Blair Brown Rachel Hastie Janae Wineland Brent Lewis American Goldfinch Barn Swallow Keely Schlabs Kathleen Santanello Katy Gifford Black-and-white Warbler Matthew Armendarez Jordan Brewer Sheridan A.
    [Show full text]
  • L O U I S I a N A
    L O U I S I A N A SPARROWS L O U I S I A N A SPARROWS Written by Bill Fontenot and Richard DeMay Photography by Greg Lavaty and Richard DeMay Designed and Illustrated by Diane K. Baker What is a Sparrow? Generally, sparrows are characterized as New World sparrows belong to the bird small, gray or brown-streaked, conical-billed family Emberizidae. Here in North America, birds that live on or near the ground. The sparrows are divided into 13 genera, which also cryptic blend of gray, white, black, and brown includes the towhees (genus Pipilo), longspurs hues which comprise a typical sparrow’s color (genus Calcarius), juncos (genus Junco), and pattern is the result of tens of thousands of Lark Bunting (genus Calamospiza) – all of sparrow generations living in grassland and which are technically sparrows. Emberizidae is brushland habitats. The triangular or cone- a large family, containing well over 300 species shaped bills inherent to most all sparrow species are perfectly adapted for a life of granivory – of crushing and husking seeds. “Of Louisiana’s 33 recorded sparrows, Sparrows possess well-developed claws on their toes, the evolutionary result of so much time spent on the ground, scratching for seeds only seven species breed here...” through leaf litter and other duff. Additionally, worldwide, 50 of which occur in the United most species incorporate a substantial amount States on a regular basis, and 33 of which have of insect, spider, snail, and other invertebrate been recorded for Louisiana. food items into their diets, especially during Of Louisiana’s 33 recorded sparrows, Opposite page: Bachman Sparrow the spring and summer months.
    [Show full text]
  • Provisional List of Birds of the Rio Tahuauyo Areas, Loreto, Peru
    Provisional List of Birds of the Rio Tahuauyo areas, Loreto, Peru Compiled by Carol R. Foss, Ph.D. and Josias Tello Huanaquiri, Guide Status based on expeditions from Tahuayo Logde and Amazonia Research Center TINAMIFORMES: Tinamidae 1. Great Tinamou Tinamus major 2. White- throated Tinamou Tinamus guttatus 3. Cinereous Tinamou Crypturellus cinereus 4. Little Tinamou Crypturellus soui 5. Undulated Tinamou Crypturellus undulates 6. Variegated Tinamou Crypturellus variegatus 7. Bartlett’s Tinamou Crypturellus bartletti ANSERIFORMES: Anhimidae 8. Horned Screamer Anhima cornuta ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae 9. Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata 10. Blue-winged Teal Anas discors 11. Masked Duck Nomonyx dominicus GALLIFORMES: Cracidae 12. Spix’s Guan Penelope jacquacu 13. Blue-throated Piping-Guan Pipile cumanensis 14. Speckled Chachalaca Ortalis guttata 15. Wattled Curassow Crax globulosa 16. Razor-billed Curassow Mitu tuberosum GALLIFORMES: Odontophoridae 17. Marbled Wood-Quall Odontophorus gujanensis 18. Starred Wood-Quall Odontophorus stellatus PELECANIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae 19. Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus PELECANIFORMES: Anhingidae 20. Anhinga Anhinga anhinga CICONIIFORMES: Ardeidae 21. Rufescent Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma lineatum 22. Agami Heron Agamia agami 23. Boat-billed Heron Cochlearius cochlearius 24. Zigzag Heron Zebrilus undulatus 25. Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 26. Striated Heron Butorides striata 27. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 28. Cocoi Heron Ardea cocoi 29. Great Egret Ardea alba 30. Cappet Heron Pilherodius pileatus 31. Snowy Egret Egretta thula 32. Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea CICONIIFORMES: Threskiornithidae 33. Green Ibis Mesembrinibis cayennensis 34. Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja CICONIIFORMES: Ciconiidae 35. Jabiru Jabiru mycteria 36. Wood Stork Mycteria Americana CICONIIFORMES: Cathartidae 37. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 38. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes burrovianus 39.
    [Show full text]
  • Identification of Pine Bunting T
    Identification of Pine Bunting Daniele Occhiato he nominate subspecies of Pine Bunting tion between the two species in areas of sym- T Emberiza leucocephalos leucocephalos breeds patry on their Siberian breeding grounds. First- in a large part of Siberia from the western slopes generation hybrids, especially males, are gene- of the Ural (55° E) east to the Pacific, including rally distinctive and do not lead to confusion. Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands (c 155° E). It However, such hybrids are fertile, and back- ranges north to the Arctic Circle (66° N) and crosses with members of one or the other spe- south to northern Mongolia (50° N); a disjunct cies, or with other hybrids, lead to individuals in population breeds further south in the Altai, which evidence of hybridization is even more Tarbagatay, Ala Tau and Tien Shan mountain diluted, and often very difficult to detect in the ranges (45° N). A geographically isolated and field. In some cases, only careful in-hand exami- apparently sedentary subspecies, E l fronto, nation can reveal such hybrid characters. For breeds in northern Qinghai and Gansu prov- example, a study by Eugeny Panov (in Bradshaw inces, China (Cramp & Perrins 1994, Byers et al & Gray 1993) revealed that out of 239 adult 1995). The migratory nominate subspecies win- male Pine Bunting x Yellowhammer hybrids ters mostly in Afghanistan, Pakistan, north-west- studied in the hand in western Siberia, as many ern India, Nepal and northern China; less impor- as 58 were only identifiable as such by the yel- tant wintering areas include northern Iran, the low lesser underwing-coverts.
    [Show full text]
  • Landbird Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network 2012 Annual Report
    National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Landbird Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network 2012 Annual Report Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SODN/NRTR—2013/744 ON THE COVER Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus). Photo by Moez Ali. Landbird Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert Network 2012 Annual Report Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SODN/NRTR—2013/744 Authors Moez Ali Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory 230 Cherry Street, Suite 150 Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 Kristen Beaupré National Park Service Sonoran Desert Network 7660 E. Broadway Blvd, Suite 303 Tucson, Arizona 85710 Patricia Valentine-Darby University of West Florida Department of Biology 11000 University Parkway Pensacola, Florida 32514 Chris White Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory 230 Cherry Street, Suite 150 Fort Collins, Colorado 80521 Project Contact Robert E. Bennetts National Park Service Southern Plains Network Capulin Volcano National Monument PO Box 40 Des Moines, New Mexico 88418 May 2013 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colora- do, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource manage- ment, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Technical Report Series is used to disseminate results of scientific studies in the physical, biological, and social sciences for both the advancement of science and the achievement of the National Park Service mission.
    [Show full text]
  • Cop13 Prop. 14
    CoP13 Prop. 14 CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENT OF APPENDICES I AND II A. Proposal Inclusion of Passerina ciris in Appendix II, in accordance with Article II, paragraph 2 (a), of the Convention and Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP12), Annex 2 a, paragraph B. i). B. Proponent Mexico and the United States of America. C. Supporting statement 1. Taxonomy 1.1 Class: Aves 1.2 Order: Passeriformes 1.3 Family: Cardinalidae 1.4 Genus and species: Passerina ciris 1.5 Scientific synonyms: None 1.6 Common names: English: Painted Bunting French: Nonpareil, Pape de Louisiane, Passerin nonpareil Spanish: Mosaico, Sietecolores, Mariposa, Colorín Sietecolores Danish: Papstfink Dutch: Mexicaanse Nonpareil German: Papst-Finkenammer Italian: Papa della Luisiana, Settecolori 1.7 Code numbers: None 2. Biological parameters 2.1 Distribution Passerina ciris ranges throughout the southeastern and southwestern United States to the West Indies, Mexico and Central America, ranging from sea level up to 2,200 m (Sprunt 1954, Monroe 1968, Rappole and Warner 1980, Binford 1989, Stiles and Skutch 1989, Howell and Web 1995, AOU 1998, Raffaele et al. 1998, Lowther et al. 1999, Garrido and Kirkconell 2000). Its breeding, migratory and wintering ranges fall within the jurisdiction of 11 nations, all CITES Parties, including the proponents. The global breeding population of Passerina ciris is divided between two of the range countries, 80% in the United States and 20% in Mexico (Rich et al. 2004). During the breeding season this species is distributed in two disjunctive populations: the eastern breeding population ranges from the Atlantic Coast of the United States, including the barrier islands, from North Carolina south to central Florida.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecology, Morphology, and Behavior in the New World Wood Warblers
    Ecology, Morphology, and Behavior in the New World Wood Warblers A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Brandan L. Gray August 2019 © 2019 Brandan L. Gray. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Ecology, Morphology, and Behavior in the New World Wood Warblers by BRANDAN L. GRAY has been approved for the Department of Biological Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences by Donald B. Miles Professor of Biological Sciences Florenz Plassmann Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 ABSTRACT GRAY, BRANDAN L., Ph.D., August 2019, Biological Sciences Ecology, Morphology, and Behavior in the New World Wood Warblers Director of Dissertation: Donald B. Miles In a rapidly changing world, species are faced with habitat alteration, changing climate and weather patterns, changing community interactions, novel resources, novel dangers, and a host of other natural and anthropogenic challenges. Conservationists endeavor to understand how changing ecology will impact local populations and local communities so efforts and funds can be allocated to those taxa/ecosystems exhibiting the greatest need. Ecological morphological and functional morphological research form the foundation of our understanding of selection-driven morphological evolution. Studies which identify and describe ecomorphological or functional morphological relationships will improve our fundamental understanding of how taxa respond to ecological selective pressures and will improve our ability to identify and conserve those aspects of nature unable to cope with rapid change. The New World wood warblers (family Parulidae) exhibit extensive taxonomic, behavioral, ecological, and morphological variation.
    [Show full text]
  • 21 Sep 2018 Lists of Victims and Hosts of the Parasitic
    version: 21 Sep 2018 Lists of victims and hosts of the parasitic cowbirds (Molothrus). Peter E. Lowther, Field Museum Brood parasitism is an awkward term to describe an interaction between two species in which, as in predator-prey relationships, one species gains at the expense of the other. Brood parasites "prey" upon parental care. Victimized species usually have reduced breeding success, partly because of the additional cost of caring for alien eggs and young, and partly because of the behavior of brood parasites (both adults and young) which may directly and adversely affect the survival of the victim's own eggs or young. About 1% of all bird species, among 7 families, are brood parasites. The 5 species of brood parasitic “cowbirds” are currently all treated as members of the genus Molothrus. Host selection is an active process. Not all species co-occurring with brood parasites are equally likely to be selected nor are they of equal quality as hosts. Rather, to varying degrees, brood parasites are specialized for certain categories of hosts. Brood parasites may rely on a single host species to rear their young or may distribute their eggs among many species, seemingly without regard to any characteristics of potential hosts. Lists of species are not the best means to describe interactions between a brood parasitic species and its hosts. Such lists do not necessarily reflect the taxonomy used by the brood parasites themselves nor do they accurately reflect the complex interactions within bird communities (see Ortega 1998: 183-184). Host lists do, however, offer some insight into the process of host selection and do emphasize the wide variety of features than can impact on host selection.
    [Show full text]
  • Birds of Anchorage Checklist
    ACCIDENTAL, CASUAL, UNSUBSTANTIATED KEY THRUSHES J F M A M J J A S O N D n Casual: Occasionally seen, but not every year Northern Wheatear N n Accidental: Only one or two ever seen here Townsend’s Solitaire N X Unsubstantiated: no photographic or sample evidence to support sighting Gray-cheeked Thrush N W Listed on the Audubon Alaska WatchList of declining or threatened species Birds of Swainson’s Thrush N Hermit Thrush N Spring: March 16–May 31, Summer: June 1–July 31, American Robin N Fall: August 1–November 30, Winter: December 1–March 15 Anchorage, Alaska Varied Thrush N W STARLINGS SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER SPECIES SPECIES SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER European Starling N CHECKLIST Ross's Goose Vaux's Swift PIPITS Emperor Goose W Anna's Hummingbird The Anchorage area offers a surprising American Pipit N Cinnamon Teal Costa's Hummingbird Tufted Duck Red-breasted Sapsucker WAXWINGS diversity of habitat from tidal mudflats along Steller's Eider W Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Bohemian Waxwing N Common Eider W Willow Flycatcher the coast to alpine habitat in the Chugach BUNTINGS Ruddy Duck Least Flycatcher John Schoen Lapland Longspur Pied-billed Grebe Hammond's Flycatcher Mountains bordering the city. Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Eastern Kingbird BOHEMIAN WAXWING Snow Bunting N Leach's Storm-Petrel Western Kingbird WARBLERS Pelagic Cormorant Brown Shrike Red-faced Cormorant W Cassin's Vireo Northern Waterthrush N For more information on Alaska bird festivals Orange-crowned Warbler N Great Egret Warbling Vireo Swainson's Hawk Red-eyed Vireo and birding maps for Anchorage, Fairbanks, Yellow Warbler N American Coot Purple Martin and Kodiak, contact Audubon Alaska at Blackpoll Warbler N W Sora Pacific Wren www.AudubonAlaska.org or 907-276-7034.
    [Show full text]