The sexual ornamentation of animals typically consists of multiple distinct traits. The
classical research approach focuses on differences among these traits, but this approach …

Background The ability to discriminate between two similar or progressively dissimilar
colours is important for many animals as it allows for accurately interpreting visual signals …

In many avian species, a male's colorful feather ornaments are known to signal individual
quality and can serve as the basis for mate choice. Fewer studies have assessed whether …

Feather mites are obligatory ectosymbionts of birds that primarily feed on the oily secretions
from the uropygial gland. Feather mite abundance varies within and among host species …

In migratory species, breeding and non-breeding locations are geographically separate, yet
the effects of conditions from one stage may carry over to affect a subsequent stage. Ideally …

Reproductive success can improve with experience, which increases with age in many long-
lived species. Signals that provide reliable information about age are therefore of …

In many avian species, age, body size, and song could signal quality or individual breeding
experience and these traits are often correlated with reproductive success. The relationship …

Researchers often use wooden conspecific decoys paired with playback of audio recordings
to capture individuals of territorial avian species. Agonistic responses elicited by these …

Many applications in wildlife management require knowledge of the sex of individual
animals. The Yuma Ridgway's rail Rallus obsoletus yumanensis is an endangered marsh …

Differences in environmental conditions are expected to generate distinct selective
pressures favoring different phenotypes. For example, environmental conditions that affect …