Скачать или смотреть Sarah Sloane: Bushtits -DNA, Kinship, Competition and their Complex Social Web, WOS month mtg 2/4/25

The Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) is a common nonmigratory species known for its cooperative breeding and intricate social dynamics. In this talk, Dr. Sarah Sloane shared her insights from over three decades of field work on Bushtits, and showcased a range of fascinating behaviors of the species. Her studies of the little cuties were conducted over consecutive generations, made possible through color banding of birds, and by virtue of meticulous observations. She and her team have discovered how young from the previous year (helpers) assist with nest care, that polyandry (more than one male) occurs through two different pathways, and that there are even cases of polygyny (more than one female). 

With the recent application of DNA techniques, Dr. Sloane and her coworkers are expanding our appreciation for the flexible and complex social behaviors of the Bushtit, providing a deeper understanding of cooperation, kinship, and reproductive strategies in this adorable, common backyard species.

Dr. Sloane received her PhD from the University of Michigan focusing on the Bushtit in SE Arizona. Inspired by the sociality of Arizonian Bushtit, she migrated her research to the Pacific Northwest in 2013 and has ever since focused on Bushtit populations in and around Portland, Oregon. Dr. Sloane is author of the chapter on Bushtits in Birds of the World. She is Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Maine at Farmington.

Sarah presented this talk at the Monthly Meeting of the Washington Ornithological Society ... "virtually" via Zoom, on February 3, 2025.

The Secret Lives of Bushtits (Sarah Sloane’s blog) https://bushtitsrule.blogspot.com/

Bushtits, Birds of the World (BOW) https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home [requires membership]