D. Ryan Norris
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Divergent climate impacts despite similar response to temperature in a widespread aerial insectivore Open
Climate change is shifting when animals breed 1,2 , but it is still not clear why some populations keep pace with warming while others fall behind 3,4 . Differences could arise from variation in sensitivity to temperature 3 or constraints …
Reintroduction of an Endangered Butterfly, the Mottled Duskywing ( <i>Erynnis martialis</i> ) Open
Many butterfly species around the world face a high risk of extinction, making reintroductions to restored or improved habitats an important tool for enhancing their long‐term viability. Despite their potential value, many reintroductions …
View article: Nature requires investment: Applying priority threat management to support biodiversity and climate targets
Nature requires investment: Applying priority threat management to support biodiversity and climate targets Open
Stemming biodiversity loss requires greater investment in conservation and more efficient use of available resources. Prioritizing conservation actions that yield the most biodiversity benefit for the least cost can help maximize return on…
Causes and consequences of within‐population variation in inter‐brood interval of a migratory songbird Open
Many birds produce two broods each year and exhibit significant intra‐population variation in the length of time between the hatching of first and second broods (the inter‐brood interval). Why within‐population variation in inter‐brood int…
View article: Nature requires investment: applying Priority Threat Management to support biodiversity and climate targets
Nature requires investment: applying Priority Threat Management to support biodiversity and climate targets Open
1. Stemming biodiversity loss requires greater investment in conservation and more efficient use of available resources. Prioritizing conservation actions that yield the most biodiversity benefit for the least cost can help maximize return…
Multigenerational fitness outcomes of double-brooding: a 30-year study of a migratory songbird Open
In birds, rearing multiple broods per season can substantially increase the annual number of fledglings produced. However, the contribution of double-brooding to lifetime fitness is unclear because the number of recruits arising from singl…
Experimental evidence demonstrating how freeze-thaw patterns affect spoilage of perishable cached food Open
For the small number of temperate and boreal species that cache perishable food, previous research suggests that increasing freeze-thaw events can have a negative impact on fitness by degrading the quality of cached food. However, there is…
Population density and timing of breeding mediate effects of early life conditions on recruitment Open
Identifying the factors driving juvenile recruitment is crucial for predicting the response of populations to environmental change. Importantly, how early life conditions carry over to influence recruitment may be highly dependent on the c…
Corticosterone predicts double-brooding in female savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) Open
Given that double-brooding (rearing two broods within a season) can increase annual fecundity, it is unclear why some females in multi-brooded populations rear only one brood per season. The Quality Hypothesis proposes that double-brooded …
View article: Protected area coverage of the full annual cycle of migratory butterflies
Protected area coverage of the full annual cycle of migratory butterflies Open
Effective conservation of migratory species relies on habitat protection throughout their annual cycle. Although protected areas (PAs) play a central role in conservation, their effectiveness at conserving habitats across the annual cycle …
Reduced fitness of secondary females in a polygynous species: a 32-yr study of Savannah sparrows Open
The evolution of mating systems reflects a balance of the often-conflicting interests of males and females. Polygyny, a mating system in which males have multiple mates, presents a fitness benefit to males, but the consequences for females…
Effects of age, breeding strategy, population density, and number of neighbors on territory size and shape in <i>Passerculus sandwichensis</i> (Savannah Sparrow) Open
The size and shape of an animal’s breeding territory are dynamic features influenced by multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors and can have important implications for survival and reproduction. Quantitative studies of variation in these …
View article: Fecal DNA metabarcoding helps characterize the Canada jay’s diet and confirms its reliance on stored food for winter survival and breeding
Fecal DNA metabarcoding helps characterize the Canada jay’s diet and confirms its reliance on stored food for winter survival and breeding Open
Accurately determining the diet of wild animals can be challenging if food items are small, visible only briefly, or rendered visually unidentifiable in the digestive system. In some food caching species, an additional challenge is determi…
Survival throughout the annual cycle of first year Canada Jays in the context of sibling competition, expulsion, and adoption Open
For most birds that exhibit delayed dispersal (remaining on the natal territory rather than dispersing to seek a breeding opportunity), siblings appear free to stay or leave the natal area. However, in rare cases, delaying dispersal is det…
Familiarity and homogeneity affect the discrimination of a song dialect Open
Male songbirds of many species sing local song dialects that are restricted to defined geographical areas. In most tests of responses to local versus foreign dialects, males respond more aggressively to songs from their own dialect, presum…
Incubation behaviour of a boreal, food-caching passerine nesting in sub-zero temperatures Open
Our understanding of avian incubation behaviour is primarily derived from species that nest in the temperate conditions of spring and summer. This leaves uncertainties about strategies employed by a relatively small number of species adapt…
View article: Individual variation in niche use between seasons in migratory birds
Individual variation in niche use between seasons in migratory birds Open
Each year, billions of migratory birds cross the globe, occupy various locations throughout the annual cycle and contribute to ecosystem functions globally. Despite their widespread presence, detailed information on occupied habitats and r…
View article: Individual variation in niche use between seasons in migratory birds
Individual variation in niche use between seasons in migratory birds Open
Each year, billions of migratory birds cross the globe, occupy various locations throughout the annual cycle and contribute to ecosystem functions globally. Despite their widespread presence, detailed information on occupied habitats and r…
Early-life sibling conflict in Canada jays has lifetime fitness consequences Open
While delaying natal dispersal can provide short-term benefits for juveniles, lifetime fitness consequences are rarely assessed. Furthermore, competition for limited positions on a natal territory could impose an indirect fitness cost on t…
View article: Metals and metal isotopes incorporation in insect wings: Implications for geolocation and pollution exposure
Metals and metal isotopes incorporation in insect wings: Implications for geolocation and pollution exposure Open
Anthropogenic activities are exposing insects to elevated levels of toxic metals and are altering the bioavailability of essential metals. Metals and metal isotopes have also become promising tools for the geolocation of migratory insects.…
Fuirst et al. RSPB Dataset 3 Open
Dataset used to calculate direct, indirect, and inclusive fitness of Canada jays
Fuirst et al. RSPB Dataset 1 Open
Dataset to test the effect of Dominant Juvenile presence on adult breeding success
Fuirst et al. RSPB Dataset 2 Open
Dataset used to test the effects of early-life social status on lifetime reproductive success.
Code and data from: Demographic signals of population decline and time to extinction in a seasonal, density-dependent model Open
SummaryWe modified a bi-seasonal Ricker model previously developed by Betini et al. (2013) to examine the effects of season-specific habitat loss in either the breeding or non-breeding period and different strengths of density dependence o…
Fuirst et al. RSPB Dataset 1 Open
Dataset to test the effect of Dominant Juvenile presence on adult breeding success
Protected areas fail to cover the full annual cycle of migratory butterflies Open
Effective conservation of migratory species relies on protection throughout their annual cycle 1 , something that has not been assessed globally for migratory insects. Here, we develop seasonal ecological niche models for 405 migratory but…
View article: Metals and metal isotopes in insect wings: Implications for diet, geolocation and pollution exposure
Metals and metal isotopes in insect wings: Implications for diet, geolocation and pollution exposure Open
Anthropogenic activities are exposing insects to abnormal levels of toxic metals, with unknown implications for migratory insects. Simultaneously, metals and metal isotopes have become promising tools for the geolocation of migratory insec…