Max Planck Institute for Ornithology

Pervasive sublethal impacts of heat exposure revealed by telomere dynamics

Predicting species responses to anthropogenic environmental change remains one of the most pressing and complex challenges in contemporary biology. While mass mortality events and localized extinctions have been linked to global warming, the more elusive and probably common, effe...

Blue-throated macaws ( Ara glaucogularis ) copy conspecifics in bidirectional control tasks

Abstract Copying via imitation (replicating others’ bodily actions) or emulation (replicating others’ action goals) underpins the cultural transmission of social norms and technical skills in humans. Many non-human animals, ranging from mammals to reptiles, have also been observe...

Females of a socially polyandrous, sex-role reversed shorebird visit multiple breeding sites within a single season

In species with uniparental care, the non-caring sex is expected to pursue mating opportunities throughout the breeding season to maximize reproductive success. Accordingly, males in some socially polygynous species have been observed to visit multiple potential breeding sites wi...