Avian Biology Research 

About: Avian Biology Research is an academic journal published by SAGE Publishing. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Nest & Biology. It has an ISSN identifier of 1758-1559. Over the lifetime, 394 publications have been published receiving 4039 citations.

The Energetic Costs of Nest Building in Birds

Abstract: Parental investment in reproduction is generally limited by the availability of food and so avian life-history research has generally focused on the brood rearing phase, when food requirements are greatest. Only relatively recently has the focus extended to the incubation phase and, even more recently, to the nest-building phase where there is now observational, comparative and experimental evidence that avian nest building is an energetically and temporally expensive activity. This review emphasises that nest construction is energetically expensive and we suggest that such costs should be incorporated into avian life-history research.

Nests, Eggs, and Incubation: New ideas about avian reproduction

Abstract: Avian incubation is a critical part of reproduction and was extensively covered in the OUP book Avian Incubation published in 2002. This new book updates the older one by introducing new concepts that have arisen over the intervening years as well as updating key areas of research. The new book does not replace Avian Incubation but, rather, reinforces and supplements it. Therefore, this book covers four key areas: nest, eggs, incubation, and the study of avian reproduction. After an initial introduction about incubation research and a chapter reviewing the fossil record of avian reproduction chapters 3-6 focus on nest biology, including construction behaviour, functional properties, nest ecology, and the potential effects of climate change. Chapters 7-11 deal with egg biology with chapters addressing microbiology, allometry, energetics, and eggs as signals. Behaviour, energetics of incubation and the effects of incubation on post-hatching phenotype are reviewed in chapters 12-14. The study of avian reproduction is a new topic that was not covered in the previous book 13 years earlier. Chapters 15-17 deal with techniques for studying nests and the processes of incubation, the application of incubation science to conservation, and the contribution of citizen science to the study of reproduction of wild birds. The final chapter looks forward to new areas of study. Overall, this book collates and describes a range of recent developments in avian reproduction and complements the previous book in bringing the field right up to date.

Local Temperature and not Latitude Determines the Design of Blue Tit and Great Tit nests

Abstract: Recent studies are documenting the extent to which the mass and construction of bird nests varies between individuals and locations. In the Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Parus major), temperatures experienced by females during nest construction are inversely related to nest mass. Moreover, Mainwaring et al. (Journal of Biogeography, 2012) showed that nests constructed at high latitude are heavier and better insulated than nests built by conspecifics in the south. Although mean spring temperature was used as a proxy for latitude in the Mainwaring et al. study, it remains untested whether individual birds build nests in response to a narrower range of temperatures experienced at the start of the breeding season. Our study showed that irrespective of latitude nest mass, and in particular nest cup mass, of Blue Tits and Great Tits was significantly affected by the temperature experienced by the birds for the seven days preceding clutch initiation. Similar results were seen with the insulatory properties of nests. The potential impact of variation in nest construction and insulation on subsequent incubation and chick-rearing behaviour is discussed.

Efficacy of Dietary Antioxidants on Broiler Oxidative Stress, Performance and Meat Quality: Science and Market:

Abstract: Several production factors could exacerbate the biological formation of free radicals which, in turn, cause oxidative stress that impair the health, overall performance and meat quality of broiler ...

Zinc in broiler feeding and nutrition

Abstract: Zinc is an essential trace mineral for birds, functioning elaborately in enzyme systems and being involved in protein synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, and many other biochemical reactions. Zinc ...