Current Ornithology – serie

This edited series has three principal goals. The first is to provide information in a relatively concise way for researchers needing an over­ view of specific disciplines. The second is to provide an update on specific schools of thought, bringing together ideas from colleagues whose works often appear in a variety of journals. And the third is to stimulate and suggest directions for new research. Volume 6 continues the tradition established by the previous editor and editorial board in providing new information, updating our understanding of specific dis­ ciplines, and stimulating new research. In the first chapter, Randall Breitwisch examines mortality patterns and sex ratios in monogamous birds. He argues that there are many more components to measuring parental investment than are often re­ alized; our knowledge is weak in several areas. Understanding the evo­ lution of mating systems depends on better distinguishing the different intensities of natural selection that operate on males and females. Greg­ ory Butcher and Sievert Rohwer develop a framework for assessing the role of colorfulness in birds. They propose several hypotheses to test and advocate evaluating more than one hypothesis at a time. Future work on the evolution of distinctive coloration and of sexual and age dimorphism must take these ideas into account.

Contributors to this volume offer new research on extinction processes in birds, nest predation, and song systems, and describes a graphical model that helps predict the reproductive consequences of time allocation between the competing demands of guarding young birds and foraging for food. Current Ornithology is the only English-language publication currently devoted exclusively to extensive reviews and synthesis of topics pertaining to all aspects of the biology of birds. Chapters fall under such diverse rubrics as ecology, evolution, behavior, phylogeny, behavioral ecology, anatomy and physiology, and conservation biology. All authors are leading authorities on their subjects, and each chapter is refereed by experts in the topics covered. Although all chapters focus primarily on birds, some topics, such as the social cognition of birds as compared to primates (Volume 13), have significant application to disciplines outside of ornithology. Current Ornithology aims to provide an accessible, up-to-date, accurate source of data and to contribute to conceptual generalization and unification across the biological sciences.

In this volume I include chapters on continental population trends, orni­ thology's contribution to the habitat concept, social organization outside the breeding season, the role of predation in limiting numbers, and the evolution of prolonged incubation periods. Authors are based in Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Is there evidence for wholesale population declines in North Ameri­ can birds? Robert Askins says yes, with qualifications. Fragmentation of forest causes the population of many forest-interior species to decline, and loss of winter forest habitat in Mexico, Central America, and the Greater Antilles is potentially serious. Trends over the past 25 years are, however, difficult to discern. Grassland and shrubland specialists have likewise diminished over the past quarter century. Askins calls for management of regional landscapes to maintain habitat diversity. As for habitats, William Block and Leonard Brennan review the role of ornithology in developing the concept of "habitat." Their intention is to stimulate ornithologists to consider habitat as a unifying concept in con­ temporary ecology. They describe uses of the habitat concept in basic and experimental ecology. Recent advances in sociobiology stimulated deeper interest in social organization. Erik Matthysen has gathered a diversity of information on social organization outside the breeding season, both in migratory and in nonbreeding resident birds. He discusses populations that continue indi­ vidual associations outside the breeding season and site-related aggression (territoriality), and reviews a number of long-term benefits of these behaviors.

In Volume 12, eminent international ornithologists further elucidate endocrinological correlates of mating strategies and hormones and reproductive behavior; assess the value of the "brood reduction hypothesis" in explaining "the paradox of hatching asynchrony"; and explore the validity and sensitivity of growth bands in feathers as an indication of nutritional condition and the use of feather banding in studying growth. Chapters in this book are well supported with charts, maps, schematic diagrams, and photographs. "Current Ornithology" is the only English-language publication currently devoted exclusively to extensive reviews and synthesis of topics pertaining to all aspects of the biology of birds. Chapters fall under such diverse rubrics as ecology, evolution, behavior, phylogeny, behavioral ecology, anatomy and physiology, and conservation biology. All authors are leading authorities on their subjects, and each chapter is refereed by experts in the topics covered. Although all chapters focus primarily on birds, some topics, such as the social cognition of birds as compared to primates (Volume 13), have significant application to disciplines outside of ornithology."Current Ornithology" aims to provide an accessible, up-to-date, accurate source of data and to contribute to conceptual generalization and unification across the biological sciences.

Our purposes in this preface are, first, to reiterate our view of Current Ornithology's role; second, to describe briefly the contents of this vol­ ume; and third, to acknowledge the generous help of our Editorial Board and of the reviewers we have consulted about the contents of Volumes 13 and 14. As far as we know, Current Ornithology is the only English-lan­ guage publication currently devoted exclusively to extensive reviews and syntheses of topics pertaining to all aspects of the biology of birds. Its chapters deal with subjects falling under such diverse rubrics as ecology, evolution, behavior, phylogeny, behavioral ecology, anatomy and physiology, and conservation biology, but all focus primarily on birds. Its authors, whether members of the National Academy or young investigators just beginning their careers, are leading authorities on their subjects, and its referees are selected for their knowledge and expertise in the topics covered by the chapters they are asked to review.

A collection of scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review: (1) fields in which an abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, or; (2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, or; (3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.

Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date, scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of current research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review 1) fields in which abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, 2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, and 3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.

Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date, scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of current research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review (1) fields in which an abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, or (2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, or (3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.

Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date, scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of current research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review (1) fields in which an abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, or (2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, or (3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.

Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date, scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of current research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review 1) fields in which abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, 2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, and 3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.

In Volume 12, eminent international ornithologists further elucidate endocrinological correlates of mating strategies and hormones and reproductive behavior; assess the value of the ''brood reduction hypothesis'' in explaining ''the paradox of hatching asynchrony''; and explore the validity and sensitivity of growth bands in feathers as an indication of nutritional condition and the use of feather banding in studying growth. Chapters are well supported with charts, maps, schematic diagrams, and photographs. Current Ornithology is the only English-language publication currently devoted exclusively to extensive reviews and synthesis of topics pertaining to all aspects of the biology of birds. Chapters fall under such diverse rubrics as ecology, evolution, behavior, phylogeny, behavioral ecology, anatomy and physiology, and conservation biology. All authors are leading authorities on their subjects, and each chapter is refereed by experts in the topics covered. Although all chapters focus primarily on birds, some topics, such as the social cognition of birds as compared to primates (Volume 13), have significant application to disciplines outside of ornithology. Current Ornithology aims to provide an accessible, up-to-date, accurate source of data and to contribute to conceptual generalization and unification across the biological sciences.

As we assume the editorship of Current Ornithology, it seems useful to review the objectives of the series. We cannot improve on the state­ ments of our predecessors when they began their service as editors. In his preface to Volume 1 (1983), Richard F. Johnston wrote: The appearance of the first volume of a projected series is the occasion for comment on scope, aims, and genesis of the work. The scope of Current Or­ nithology is all of the biology of birds. Ornithology, as a whole-organism sci­ ence, is concerned with birds at every level of biological organization, from the molecular to the community, at least from the Jurassic to the present time, and over every scholarly discipline in which bird biology is done; to say this is merely to expand a dictionary definition of "ornithology. " The aim of the work, to be realized over several volumes, is to present reviews or position statements concerning the active fields of ornithological research. Dennis M. Power, who edited Volumes 6-12 (1989-1995), began his preface to Volume 6 (1989) as follows: This edited series has three principal goals. The first is to provide information in a relatively concise way for researchers needing an overview of specific disciplines. The second is to provide an update on specific schools of thought, bringing together ideas from colleagues whose works often appear in a variety of journals. And the third is to stimul&te and suggest directions for new re­ search.

Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date, scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of current research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review (1) fields in which an abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, or (2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, or (3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.

The appearance of the first volume of a projected series is the occasion for comment on scope, aims, and genesis of the work. The scope of Current Ornithology is all of the biology of birds. Ornithology, as a whole-organism science, is concerned with birds at every level of bi­ ological organization, from the molecular to the community, at least from the Jurassic to the present time, and over every scholarly discipline in which bird biology is done; to say this is merely to expand a dic­ tionary definition of "ornithology. " The aim of the work, to be realized over several volumes, is to present reviews or position statements con­ cerning the active fields of ornithological research. The reviews will be relatively short, and often will be done from the viewpoint of a readily­ identified group or school. Such a work could have come into being at any time within the past fifty years, but that Current Ornithology appears now is a result of events that are only seven to eight years old. One important event was the initiation in 1975-1976 of the Workshop on a National Plan for Ornithology, under the directorship of James R. King and Walter J. Bock, cosponsored by the American Ornithologists' Union and the Na­ tional Science Foundation. Part of the Workshop's interests lay in pub­ lications resources, and certain kinds of information on publications were obtained by means of a questionnaire.

Volume 5 of this series continues its coverage of currently active re­ search fields in ornithology. Because an editor can never be a disin­ terested observer of his or her own editorial efforts, any claim for su­ periority of this volume is not without conflict of interest. Even so, Volume 5 has certain merits that even a parent should acknowledge, and I find the current chapters not merely timely and authoritative but compelling in their demand for a reader's attention. Wolfgang and Roswitha Wiltschko provide a perceptive review of magnetic orientation in birds, a piece dedicated to Fritz Merkel, the pioneer in studies of magnetic orientation. Sergei Kharitonov and Doug­ las Siegel-Causey are concerned with the behavioral ecology of seabird coloniality, emphasizing their field experiences in the USSR and the United States. Ted Miller examines the application of studies of bird behavior to comparative biology, pursuing the interface of behavior and evolutionary biology adumbrated by Konrad Lorenz in the 1930s. Jeremy Raynor gives us a summary of the work over the past decade on bird flight, which is not, by turns, as complex or as simple as we had formerly believed. Carrol Henderson describes recent develop­ ments in nongame bird conservation, based on his pioneering work in the State of Minnesota. Alan Kamil discusses optimal experimental design for research in ornithology, a field in which experimental work is frequently difficult to pursue.

Although statistics have been used by geologists for many years, only recently has the subject received the attention needed and deserved. Geologists and other earth scientists have a use for summary statistics of large data bases, knowledge of frequency distributions, understanding of sampling designs and problems, and ap­ plication of stochastic models, but in general they are unaware of the many aspects of help available through the statistician. It seemed warranted at this time to get the two disciplines together and to find a common meeting ground for further collaboration. Thus the subject of the 8th Colloquium was proposed as GEOSTATISTICS. Statisticians with interests in ap­ plications in the earth sciences were asked to partici­ pate with earth scientists interested in applying statistics to problems. This volume records the pro­ ceedings of the meeting. The Kansas Geological Survey, the International Association for Mathematical Geology and the University Extension were hosts to 120 participants on campus at The University of Kansas during 7-9 June 1970. The Colloquium was the 8th in a series on "Computer Applica­ ~ions in the Earth Sciences." Previous subjects were classification, trend analysis, time-series analysis, simulation, sampling, computer applications, and optical­ data processing. The stated purpose of the meeting was to explore some assumptions, limitations, and applica­ tions for statistical geology and geostatistics.

Detailing novel research methods, this compilation presents major advances in fundamental aspects of phylogeny, mating, parental care, the trophic structure of Raptor communities, demography, behavioral ecology, species diversity, and the evolution of avian ontogenies. The book also features the most extensive list of international references available on raptor diet and feeding behavior and nocturnality. Current Ornithology is the only English-language publication currently devoted exclusively to extensive reviews and synthesis of topics pertaining to all aspects of the biology of birds. Chapters fall under such diverse rubrics as ecology, evolution, behavior, phylogeny, behavioral ecology, anatomy and physiology, and conservation biology. All authors are leading authorities on their subjects, and each chapter is refereed by experts in the topics covered. Although all chapters focus primarily on birds, some topics, such as the social cognition of birds as compared to primates (Volume 13), have significant application to disciplines outside of ornithology. Current Ornithology aims to provide an accessible, up-to-date, accurate source of data and to contribute to conceptual generalization and unification across the biological sciences.

In this volume I include chapters on continental population trends, orni­ thology's contribution to the habitat concept, social organization outside the breeding season, the role of predation in limiting numbers, and the evolution of prolonged incubation periods. Authors are based in Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Is there evidence for wholesale population declines in North Ameri­ can birds? Robert Askins says yes, with qualifications. Fragmentation of forest causes the population of many forest-interior species to decline, and loss of winter forest habitat in Mexico, Central America, and the Greater Antilles is potentially serious. Trends over the past 25 years are, however, difficult to discern. Grassland and shrubland specialists have likewise diminished over the past quarter century. Askins calls for management of regional landscapes to maintain habitat diversity. As for habitats, William Block and Leonard Brennan review the role of ornithology in developing the concept of "habitat." Their intention is to stimulate ornithologists to consider habitat as a unifying concept in con­ temporary ecology. They describe uses of the habitat concept in basic and experimental ecology. Recent advances in sociobiology stimulated deeper interest in social organization. Erik Matthysen has gathered a diversity of information on social organization outside the breeding season, both in migratory and in nonbreeding resident birds. He discusses populations that continue indi­ vidual associations outside the breeding season and site-related aggression (territoriality), and reviews a number of long-term benefits of these behaviors.

Our purposes in this preface are, first, to reiterate our view of Current Ornithology's role; second, to describe briefly the contents of this vol­ ume; and third, to acknowledge the generous help of our Editorial Board and of the reviewers we have consulted about the contents of Volumes 13 and 14. As far as we know, Current Ornithology is the only English-lan­ guage publication currently devoted exclusively to extensive reviews and syntheses of topics pertaining to all aspects of the biology of birds. Its chapters deal with subjects falling under such diverse rubrics as ecology, evolution, behavior, phylogeny, behavioral ecology, anatomy and physiology, and conservation biology, but all focus primarily on birds. Its authors, whether members of the National Academy or young investigators just beginning their careers, are leading authorities on their subjects, and its referees are selected for their knowledge and expertise in the topics covered by the chapters they are asked to review.