Diego Sustaita
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View article: The Effect of Wing-Flashing Behavior on Prey Capture Performance of San Clemente Loggerhead Shrikes
The Effect of Wing-Flashing Behavior on Prey Capture Performance of San Clemente Loggerhead Shrikes Open
Synopsis Loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) are medium-sized predatory songbirds that feed on arthropods and vertebrates. Prior to attacking their prey, shrikes have been observed performing “wing-flashing” behavior, consisting of ra…
View article: Upper bill bending as an adaptation for nectar feeding in hummingbirds
Upper bill bending as an adaptation for nectar feeding in hummingbirds Open
Observations of maxillary (upper bill) bending in hummingbirds have been considered an optical illusion, yet a recent description of out-of-phase opening and closing between their bill base and tip suggests a genuine capacity for bill bend…
View article: Biomechanics of biting in loggerhead shrikes: jaw-closing force, velocity and an argument for power
Biomechanics of biting in loggerhead shrikes: jaw-closing force, velocity and an argument for power Open
Differences in the physical and behavioral attributes of prey are likely to impose disparate demands of force and speed on the jaws of a predator. Because of biomechanical trade-offs between force and speed, this presents an interesting co…
View article: Phenotypic differentiation despite gene flow: Beak morphology, bite performance, and population genetics of Loggerhead Shrikes (<i>Lanius ludovicianus</i>)
Phenotypic differentiation despite gene flow: Beak morphology, bite performance, and population genetics of Loggerhead Shrikes (<i>Lanius ludovicianus</i>) Open
Previous studies of Loggerhead Shrikes (Laniidae: Lanius ludovicianus ) in North America have indicated considerable intraspecific genetic and phenotypic differentiation, but the congruence between genetic and phenotypic differentiation re…
View article: New Zealand's extinct giant raptor (<i>Hieraaetus moorei</i>) killed like an eagle, ate like a condor
New Zealand's extinct giant raptor (<i>Hieraaetus moorei</i>) killed like an eagle, ate like a condor Open
The extinct Haast's eagle or harpagornis ( Hieraaetus moorei ) is the largest known eagle. Historically, it was first considered a predator, then a scavenger, but most recent authors have favoured an active hunting ecology. However, the ve…
View article: Applied Functional Biology: Linking Ecological Morphology to Conservation and Management
Applied Functional Biology: Linking Ecological Morphology to Conservation and Management Open
Synopsis Many researchers work at the interface of organisms and environment. Too often, the insights that organismal, or functional, biologists can bring to the understanding of natural history, ecology, and conservation of species are ov…
View article: Behavioral correlates of semi-zygodactyly in Ospreys ( <i>Pandion haliaetus</i> ) based on analysis of internet images
Behavioral correlates of semi-zygodactyly in Ospreys ( <i>Pandion haliaetus</i> ) based on analysis of internet images Open
Ospreys are renowned for their fishing abilities, which have largely been attributed to their specialized talon morphology and semi-zygodactyly−the ability to rotate the fourth toe to accompany the first toe in opposition of toes II and II…
View article: Peer Review #3 of "Behavioral correlates of semi-zygodactyly in Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) based on analysis of internet images (v0.1)"
Peer Review #3 of "Behavioral correlates of semi-zygodactyly in Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) based on analysis of internet images (v0.1)" Open
Ospreys are renowned for their fishing abilities, which have largely been attributed to their specialized talon morphology and semi-zygodactylythe ability to rotate the fourth toe to accompany the first toe in opposition of toes II and II…
View article: Feeding in Birds: Thriving in Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Niches
Feeding in Birds: Thriving in Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Niches Open
We start with a general description of the structure of the feeding apparatus in birds (Sect. 17.1), then we describe the biomechanics of those parts (Sect. 17.2), including a review of contemporary approaches to the study of bird feeding …
View article: Habitat selection by bighorn sheep in a mesic ecosystem: the San Rafael Mountains, California, USA
Habitat selection by bighorn sheep in a mesic ecosystem: the San Rafael Mountains, California, USA Open
Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) were extirpated from the San Rafael Mountains, Ventura County, California, about 1915, and remained so for 70 years.They were reintroduced to that range, which is near the western extreme of their historical…
View article: Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes
Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes Open
Shrikes use their beaks for procuring, dispatching and processing their arthropod and vertebrate prey. However, it is not clear how the raptor-like bill of this predatory songbird functions to kill vertebrate prey that may weigh more than …
View article: Data S2 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes.
Data S2 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes. Open
Landmark 2D coordinates of shrike head, mouse head, and mouse body, along with their angles, velocities, and accelerations computed for each frame of electronic supplementary materials video S1. Cells with blue font contain formulas.
View article: Data S1 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes.
Data S1 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes. Open
Axial head-rolling oscillation frequencies determined from 28 video sequences obtained from 13 individual shrikes.
View article: Data S3 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes.
Data S3 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes. Open
Angular velocities estimated from four sequences of four individual shrikes, from the time required to complete an ~90° turn of the head (i.e., half-oscillation) while processing mice.
View article: Data S2 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes
Data S2 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes Open
Landmark 2D coordinates of shrike head, mouse head, and mouse body, along with their angles, velocities, and accelerations computed for each frame of electronic supplementary materials video S1. Cells with blue font contain formulas.
View article: Data S1 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes
Data S1 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes Open
Axial head-rolling oscillation frequencies determined from 28 video sequences obtained from 13 individual shrikes.
View article: Data S3 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes
Data S3 from Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes Open
Angular velocities estimated from four sequences of four individual shrikes, from the time required to complete an ~90° turn of the head (i.e., half-oscillation) while processing mice.
View article: Mechanical analysis of avian feet: multiarticular muscles in grasping and perching
Mechanical analysis of avian feet: multiarticular muscles in grasping and perching Open
The grasping capability of birds' feet is a hallmark of their evolution, but the mechanics of avian foot function are not well understood. Two evolutionary trends that contribute to the mechanical complexity of the avian foot are the varia…