Distinctive egg color variations in Common Murres

By T. R. Birkhead Linked paper: Exceptional variation in the appearance of Common Murre eggs reveals their potential as identity signals by Tim R. Birkhead; Jamie E. Thompson; Amelia R. Cox; Robert D. Montgomerie. Ornithology. Few birds lay such spectacular eggs as the Common Murre (Uria aalge; Common Guillemot in Europe). Almost every book on …

Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day in the Americas

By Catherine Lindell, Editor-in-Chief, Ornithological Applications In honor of World Migratory Bird Day in the Americas on 9 October, we draw attention to some of the articles and blog posts about migratory birds that have been published in the AOS journal, Ornithological Applications (formerly, The Condor), the journal Ornitología Neotropical, and on AOS’s Wing Beat …

So much to eat, so little time: A rapid refueling stop on arrival in South America is key to epic migration of the Blackpoll Warbler

By Nicholas J. Bayly Linked paper: Rapid recovery by fat- and muscle-depleted Blackpoll Warblers following trans-oceanic migration is driven by time-minimization by Nicholas J. Bayly, Kenneth V. Rosenberg, D. Ryan Norris, Philip D. Taylor, and Keith A. Hobson. Ornithology. For scientists and bird watchers alike, when we think about epic migratory journeys, the Blackpoll Warbler …

Do protected areas work? Long-term monitoring shows protected areas safeguard bird populations and support federal and state mandates

By Point Blue Conservation Science Linked paper: Protected areas safeguard landbird populations in central coastal California: evidence from long-term population trends by Mark D. Dettling, Kristen E. Dybala, Diana L. Humple, and Thomas Gardali, Ornithological Applications. Federal and state mandates to conserve 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030 are intended to protect …

Ostrich evolution revealed: Fossil finds shed new light on the evolution of the African ratite

By Gerald Mayr, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt Linked paper: Extinct crane-like birds (Eogruidae and Ergilornithidae) from the Cenozoic of Central Asia are indeed ostrich precursors by Gerald Mayr & Nikita Zelenkov, Ornithology. Until now, the early evolutionary history of ostriches was largely unknown. Together with my colleague Nikita Zelenkov from …

Variation in migration phenology of boreal breeding birds is linked to evolutionary adaptations for long-distance migration

By Ben Winger Linked paper: Migration distance is a fundamental axis of the slow-fast continuum of life history in boreal birds by Benjamin M. Winger and Teresa M. Pegan, Ornithology Recently, it occurred to me that the anticipation and excitement of my first spring migration—experienced more than twenty years ago—continues to inspire my research today, …

On the road to trans inclusivity in publishing at the American Ornithological Society

By Catherine Lindell, Editor-in-Chief, Ornithological Applications The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is striving to become welcoming and inclusive of all members of our community. The Committee on Publication Ethics or COPE has resources to help us on this journey. COPE “provides leadership in thinking on publication ethics, practical resources to educate and support members, and …

Solving the Mystery of the Genderu Sunbird

By Jacob C. Cooper Linked paper: Multiple lines of evidence indicate ongoing allopatric and parapatric diversification in an Afromontane sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi) by Jacob C. Cooper, J. Dylan Maddox, Kellie McKague, and John M. Bates, Ornithology Five years ago, as I was settling into my new life as a graduate student at the University of …

How will migratory birds in South America adapt to future climate change?

by Natália Stefanini Linked paper: Future climate change will impact the size and location of breeding and wintering areas of migratory thrushes in South America by Natália Stefanini Da Silveira, Maurício Humberto Vancine, Alex E. Jahn, Marco Aurélio Pizo, and Thadeu Sobral-Souza, Ornithological Applications  The answer to the question of how migratory birds in South …