The propensity of migratory waders to remain on the non-breeding grounds during the arctic breeding season (‘‘oversummer’’) in their first biological year of life (‘‘juveniles’’) may be latitude, and thus migratory distance dependent. We compared the extent of preparation for northward migration of western sandpipers Calidris mauri spending the non-breeding season in México and Panamá during 19...

Two experiments, one examining oestrus and ovarian activity in 5 genotypes of young ewes exposed continuously to teaser rams and the other examining the onset of the breeding season in 4 separate strains of young Merino ewes, were carried out at Hamilton. In each experiment there were genetic differences in the duration of the non-breeding season. In experiment 1, Merinos and Comebacks had a sh...

Endocrine systems play critical roles in facilitating sexual behavior in seasonally breeding vertebrates. Much of the research exploring this topic has focused on the endocrine correlates of signaling behavior in males and sexual proceptivity in females. What is less understood is how hormones promote the expression of the often complex and highly selective set of stimulus-response behaviors th...

The seasonally determined demographic structure of two semi-arid rodents, both agricultural pest species (the leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis darwini) in Chile and the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) in Tanzania), is analysed using capture-mark-recapture (CMR) statistical models and measures for elasticity (the relative change in the growth rate due to a relative unit change in the paramet...

The population of great hornbills (Buceros bicornis) in the United States is rapidly aging, and captive breeding efforts have not met population managers’ expectations for a sustainable captive group. Little is known about the reproductive physiology of these birds. This study reports the first data on the reproductive endocrinology of the great hornbill. The hormone profiles of the only pair o...

Separating gregarious individuals from their group members often results in behavioural and physiological changes, like increased levels of corticosterone. Testosterone and corticosterone, in particular, have been implicated in the response of mammals to novelty. Data in birds are, however, rare. The presence or absence of group members may also influence an individual's response to novel stimu...

Understanding latitudinal variation in avian life-history traits has been a focus of many demographic studies around the world. However, we still know little about annual or intra-annual demographic variation within tropical regions or about how factors such as breeding season and precipitation influence demographic rates. In this study, we estimated intra-annual apparent survival of the White-...

Alternative mating tactics in males of various taxa are associated with body color, body size, and social status. Chameleons are known for their ability to change body color following immediate environmental or social stimuli. In this study, we examined whether the differential appearance of male common chameleon during the breeding season is indeed an expression of alternative mating tactics. ...

Ghezel sheep is one of the main breeds in the north-west of Iran which is reared for meat, milk and wool production. Improving reproduction of this breed will have a significant impact on the economic development of local farmers. Therefore, in the present study the effect of simultaneous use of estrus synchronization(controlled internal drug releasing (CIDR) and equine chorionic gonadotropin (...

The house mouse has adapted well to the cereal crops of south-eastern Australia where populations show aperiodic outbreaks over large areas. A 20-year population study has provided a wealth of information on breeding ecology, demographic changes, spatial behaviour and epidemiology. The breeding season can be as short as 4.5 months and as long as 10 months with litter size changing seasonally fr...