Biology of the Ubiquitous House Sparrow

Biology of the Ubiquitous House Sparrow
Author: Ted R. Anderson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 560
Release: 2006-08-10
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 019530411X
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After the chicken, the House Sparrow is the most widely distributed bird species in the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica and on most human-inhabited islands. Although its Latin name is Passer domesticus, it is certainly not domesticated. In fact, it is widely regarded as a pest species and is consequently not protected in most of its extensive range. This combination of ubiquity and minimal legal protection has contributed to its wide use in studies by avian biologists throughout the world.The purpose of this book is to review and summarize the results of these global studies on House Sparrows, and to provide a springboard for future studies on the species. House Sparrows have been used to study natural selection in introduced species, circadian rhythms, and the neuroendocrine control of the avian annual cycle. One current question of considerable interest concerns the catastrophic House Sparrow population declines in several urban centers in Europe. Is the House Sparrow a contemporary canary in the mine? Other topics of broad interest include the reproductive and flock-foraging strategies of sparrows, and sexual selection and the function of the male badge in the species. Anderson also explores the role of the House Sparrow in disease transmission to humans and their domesticated animals.

Biology of the Ubiquitous House Sparrow

Biology of the Ubiquitous House Sparrow
Author: Ted R. Anderson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 560
Release: 2006-08-10
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0198041357
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After the chicken, the House Sparrow is the most widely distributed bird species in the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica and on most human-inhabited islands. Although its Latin name is Passer domesticus, it is certainly not domesticated. In fact, it is widely regarded as a pest species and is consequently not protected in most of its extensive range. This combination of ubiquity and minimal legal protection has contributed to its wide use in studies by avian biologists throughout the world. The purpose of this book is to review and summarize the results of these global studies on House Sparrows, and to provide a springboard for future studies on the species. House Sparrows have been used to study natural selection in introduced species, circadian rhythms, and the neuroendocrine control of the avian annual cycle. One current question of considerable interest concerns the catastrophic House Sparrow population declines in several urban centers in Europe. Is the House Sparrow a contemporary canary in the mine? Other topics of broad interest include the reproductive and flock-foraging strategies of sparrows, and sexual selection and the function of the male badge in the species. Anderson also explores the role of the House Sparrow in disease transmission to humans and their domesticated animals.

Helping Communal Breeding in Birds

Helping Communal Breeding in Birds
Author: J. L. Brown
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 374
Release: 2014-07-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1400858569
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An overview of the extensive and frequently controversial literature on communally breeding birds developed since the early 1960s, when students of evolution began to examine sociality as a product of natural selection. Jerram Brown provides original data from his own theoretical and empirical studies and summarizes the wide array of results and interpretations made by others. Originally published in 1987. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Avian Genetics

Avian Genetics
Author: F. Cooke
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 507
Release: 2013-09-24
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 148327568X
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Avian Genetics: A Population and Ecological Approach is a collection of papers that deals with the study of birds in relation to the synthetic theory of evolution. This book studies the ecology, demography, behavior, and geographical distribution of birds; the text also discusses quantitative, chromosomal, biochemical, and population genetics. Part I reviews the various genetic interactions, including an analysis of DNA sequence variation. The different and newer techniques are compared such as the works of Sibley, Quinn, and White. Part II describes the molding genetic variation and covers topics such as inbreeding; gene flow and the genetic structure of populations; non-random mating; and the process of selection in natural populations of birds. Part III covers actual genetic case histories, including quantitative ecological genetics of great tits; genetic evolution of house sparrows; and presentation of evidence for sexual selection by female choice in the Arctic Skua. This book also presents future research in subjects such as the neutrality-selection controversy or genetics and conservation. This text can be beneficial for ecologists, ornithologists, animal conservationists, and population biologists studying birds.

The House Sparrow

The House Sparrow
Author: James Denis Summers-Smith
Publisher:
Total Pages: 322
Release: 1967
Genre: English sparrow
ISBN:
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Bird Species

Bird Species
Author: Dieter Thomas Tietze
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2018-11-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319916890
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The average person can name more bird species than they think, but do we really know what a bird “species” is? This open access book takes up several fascinating aspects of bird life to elucidate this basic concept in biology. From genetic and physiological basics to the phenomena of bird song and bird migration, it analyzes various interactions of birds – with their environment and other birds. Lastly, it shows imminent threats to birds in the Anthropocene, the era of global human impact. Although it seemed to be easy to define bird species, the advent of modern methods has challenged species definition and led to a multidisciplinary approach to classifying birds. One outstanding new toolbox comes with the more and more reasonably priced acquisition of whole-genome sequences that allow causative analyses of how bird species diversify. Speciation has reached a final stage when daughter species are reproductively isolated, but this stage is not easily detectable from the phenotype we observe. Culturally transmitted traits such as bird song seem to speed up speciation processes, while another behavioral trait, migration, helps birds to find food resources, and also coincides with higher chances of reaching new, inhabitable areas. In general, distribution is a major key to understanding speciation in birds. Examples of ecological speciation can be found in birds, and the constant interaction of birds with their biotic environment also contributes to evolutionary changes. In the Anthropocene, birds are confronted with rapid changes that are highly threatening for some species. Climate change forces birds to move their ranges, but may also disrupt well-established interactions between climate, vegetation, and food sources. This book brings together various disciplines involved in observing bird species come into existence, modify, and vanish. It is a rich resource for bird enthusiasts who want to understand various processes at the cutting edge of current research in more detail. At the same time it offers students the opportunity to see primarily unconnected, but booming big-data approaches such as genomics and biogeography meet in a topic of broad interest. Lastly, the book enables conservationists to better understand the uncertainties surrounding “species” as entities of protection.

Invasive Birds

Invasive Birds
Author: Colleen T. Downs
Publisher: CABI
Total Pages: 399
Release: 2020-12-07
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1789242061
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Examining globally invasive alien birds, the first part of this book provides an account of 32 global avian invasive species (as listed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group, ISSG). It acts as a one stop reference volume; it assesses current invasive status for each bird species, including details of physical description, diet, introduction and invasion pathways, breeding behaviour, natural habitat. It also looks at the environmental impact of each species, as well as current and future control methods. Full colour photographs assist with species identification and global distribution maps give a visual representation of the current known distributions of these species. The second part of the book discusses the biogeographical aspects of avian invasions, highlighting current and emerging invasive species across different regions of the world. The third section considers the impact of invasive species on native communities, problems associated with invasive bird management and the use of citizen science in the study of invasive birds.

The Sparrows

The Sparrows
Author: Denis Summers-Smith
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 351
Release: 2010-11-30
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1408138255
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While Denis Summers-Smith's monograph The Sparrows presented his knowledge of sparrow biology, this volume tells the other, human, side of the tale. Denis Summers-Smith first took up the study of the House Sparrow in 1947, thinking that the difficulties of travel in post-war Britain would best suit the study of a species always close at hand. The humble House Sparrow, common everywhere, was surprisingly poorly researched and his work soon provided interesting insights into this successful and adaptable little bird. As new opportunities to travel opened up, his interest blossomed to take in the genus Passer as a whole. His travels would ultimately lead to his study of all but one of the group, found only in deepest Turkestan, and to the publication of his authoritative monograph on sparrows in 1988. His wry descriptions of the tribulations and unexpected pleasures of a traveller on four continents, from the Himalayas and Thailand to Africa and the Americas (with a good few islands in between), are interspersed with observations and speculations on the biology of sparrows in a wide variety of habitats. Everywhere local officials and bird watchers warmed to the eccentric Scot in pursuit of the little birds that nobody notices but which so often make their homes beside us. The author's own photographs and delightful cartoons by Euan Dunn further paint the picture of this lifelong search.

Ornithology

Ornithology
Author: Michael L. Morrison
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Total Pages: 1017
Release: 2018-09-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1421424711
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The essential text for ornithology courses, this book will leave students with a lifelong understanding and appreciation of the biology and ecology of birds. Aves, the birds, is the wildlife group that people most frequently encounter. With over 10,000 species worldwide, these animals are part of our everyday experience. They are also the focus of intense research, and their management and conservation is a subject of considerable effort throughout the world. But what are the defining attributes that make a bird a bird? Aimed at undergraduate and graduate students, Ornithology provides a solid modern foundation for understanding the life and development of birds. Written by renowned experts from around the globe, this comprehensive textbook draws on the latest research to create an innovative learning experience. Moving beyond bones, muscle, and feathers, it provides the core information needed to “build” the bird, linking anatomy and physiology with ecology and behavior. As it reviews the major orders of birds, the book highlights their wide diversity and critically evaluates ornithological concepts and theories. Incorporating brief biographies of leaders in the field, the text describes their contributions in the context of key historical events in bird science. Each chapter ends with a summary of the material covered, a discussion of potential management and conservation applications, and suggested study questions that will stimulate thought and discussion. Contributors: Peter Arcese, George E. Bentley, Lori A. Blanc, William M. Block, Alice Boyle, Leonard A. Brennan, Luke K. Butler, Zac Cheviron, Luis M. Chiappe, Melanie R. Colón, Caren B. Cooper, Robert J. Cooper, Jamie M. Cornelius, Carlos Martinez Del Rio, John Dumbacher, Shannon Farrell, Maureen Flannery, Geoffrey Geupel, Patricia Adair Gowaty, Thomas P. Hahn, Ashley M. Heers, Fritz Hertel, Geoffrey E. Hill, Matthew Johnson, Lukas F. Keller, Dylan C. Kesler, Pablo Sabat Kirkwood, John Klicka, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Ashley M. Long, Scott R. Loss, Graham R. Martin, John M. Marzluff, Susan B. McRae, Michael L. Morrison, Timothy J. O’Connell, Jen C. Owen, Marco Pavia, Jeffrey Podos, Lars Pomara, Jonathan F. Prather, Marco Restani, Alejandro Rico-Guevara, Amanda D. Rodewald, Vanya G. Rohwer, Matthias Starck, Michael W. Strohbach, S. Mažeika P. Sullivan, Diego Sustaita, Kerri T. Vierling, Gary Voelker, Margaret A. Voss, Jeff R. Walters, Paige S. Warren, Elisabeth B. Webb, Michael S. Webster, Eric M. Wood, Robert M. Zink, Benjamin Zuckerberg