REU: Fitness Consequences of Avian Coloniality

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This research seeks to determine why some avian species live in colonies. This long-term project is unique in that it is designed to follow thousands of individual cliff swallows for the duration of their lifetimes. These birds nest in colonies of many different sizes. Birds living in colonies which range in size from very small to extremely large will be monitored for several years and their lifespans calculated. How many offspring each individual produces during its lifetime will be determined. Differences in lifetime output of young will be related to the colony size each individual occupied. This will reveal what sorts of evolutionary costs and benefits individuals can expect in different size colonies. Many of the presumed costs and benefits of group living are believed to be universal for all social species, including humans. This research will used a nonhuman model species to gain an understanding of the consequences of group living.