This book covers central aspects of behavioral ecology, including sexual selection, social and genetic mating systems, cooperative breeding, brood parasitism, brood reduction, migration, personalities and communication. Over the past several years, Neotropical bird species from temperate to tropical latitudes of South America have been extensively studied, yielding valuable insights into the evolutionary mechanisms that drive their behavioral traits.

In this book, international experts provide a general overview of main behavioral aspects. They also present the main findings of their work, including experimental approaches to testing the most accepted behavioral theory in their model systems. In closing, they propose new theoretical frameworks and future research directions. As such, the book provides a comprehensive and updated guide for all researchers, students and professionals whose work involves the study and management of birds across the Neotropical region.

Autorentext

Juan C. Reboreda is a professor at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and a National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET) Superior Researcher. He received his MSc and PhD degrees at UBA, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge and at the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Oxford University. Juan's research interests focus on the study of the interactions between brood parasitic cowbirds and their hosts and the behavior and conservation of endangered grassland birds. He has published more than 120 papers, mainly in ornithological and animal behavior. He was associate editor of The Auk, Bird Conservation International, EMU and was a member of the Global Council of BirdLife International. He is member of Asociación Ornitológica del Plata, and fellow of the International Ornithological Society and the American Ornithologists' Union. He has served as Director of the Department of Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Secretary of Science, Vice-dean and Dean of the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Buenos Aires.

Vanina Fiorini received her bachelor's and Ph.D. degrees in Biological Sciences from the Univeristy of Buenos Aires. Her postdoc focused on invasive bird species in Argentina. In 2010 she became a CONICET researcher and continued studying the co-evolutionary relationships between parasitic cowbirds Molothrus spp. and their hosts, focusing on their co-adaptations, ecology and behavior. Vanina has published more than 20 papers, most of them in high impact behavioral ecology journals. She is a member of the Asociación Ornitológica del Plata. In recent years Vanina has served as reviewer for different scientific journals as Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology and the Journal of Avian Biology. 

Diego Tuero received his bachelor's and Ph.D.  degrees in Biological Science from the University of Buenos Aires. During his postdoc Diego continued his studies in behavioral ecology, evaluating the evolution of avian tails under sexual selection processes and migratory behavior in austral migrants. In 2014, he became a CONICET research fellow, studying adaptations of brood parasite species, migration in neotropical bird species, and avian traits under sexual selection pressure. He has published more than 15 research articles, was advisor of under-graduated and graduated students, and served as reviewer for behavioral and ornithological journals. He is a member of the Asociación Ornitológica del Plata and the International Society for Behavioral Ecology.

Inhalt
Preface

1. Social mating system divergence between north and south temperate Wrens2. Understanding variation in extra-pair paternity in birds: a focus on Neotropical birds
2. Cooperative and Communal Breeding
3. Sexual selection and mating systems: contributions from a Neotropical passerine model
4. Brood reduction in Neotropical birds: mechanisms, patterns and insights from studies in the Imperial Shag (Phalacrocorax atriceps)
5. Obligate brood parasitism on Neotropical birds
6. Bird migration in South America: The Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana) as a case study
7. Visual and acoustic communication in Neotropical birds: diversity and evolution of signals
8. A reappraisal of the fruit-taking and fruit-handling behaviors of Neotropical birds
   10.Perspectives on the study of field hummingbird cognition in the neotropicsIndex