Individual differences in growth and size of vertebrates often represent adaptive, plastic
responses to contrasts in ecological conditions. Recent studies show that vertebrates can …

Generalist brood parasites that share nests with host nestlings can optimize resource
acquisition from host parents by balancing the benefits that host nest-mates provide …

Many animals have evolved fine-tuned enemy recognition (the ability to discriminate
between threat types) and respond to threats based on their particular impact on survival …

Transitions between life history stages are fitness-limiting events that depend on
environmental and individual characteristics. For altricial birds, fledging from the nest is a …

Generalist avian brood parasites commonly serve as a model system to test for plasticity in
offspring growth and behavior under various host environmental and parental regimes …

The antagonistic arms races between obligate brood parasites and their hosts provide
critical insights into coevolutionary processes and constraints on the evolution of life history …

Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) females lay their eggs in the nests of other avian hosts,
relying on parental care provided by parasitised hosts. Therefore, it would benefit cuckoo …

One of the richest opportunities for studying coevolution comes from obligate brood
parasitism, a unique reproductive strategy performed by only 1% of the world's bird species …

Diverse animal lineages communicate using complex vocalizations, which can have
structural and functional parallels with human language. One such set of communication …

Interactions between hosts and their brood parasites have dramatic effects on reproductive
outcomes and survival for all participants. Using an integrative approach, my dissertation …