Evolution of mating systems and parental care strategies

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My research addresses the evolution of reproductive strategies: how individuals choose social and breeding partners, and how each invests into parental care. Theory suggests there will be both co-operation and conflict between members of a pair raising young.  Each may have opportunities for mating outside the pair bond (infidelity) and each may have different priorities for the type and quantity of care given to the offspring. I will study the northern flicker, a woodpecker that is usually socially monogamous but which shows facultative polyandry. Woodpeckers are nearly unique among altricial birds because males incubate at night and seem to contribute more parental care than females.  These life history traits make woodpeckers an interesting and novel species in which to study the evolution of gender-based parental effort. The general objectives are: 1) to use DNA tests to determine whether parents are related to the young in their nest (whether there are extra-pair copulations or egg-dumping by females) and to determine the social and environmental factors correlated with these alternate reproductive strategies, 2) to study food allocation patterns of male and female parents in relation to nestling age, sex and health.  I will use small cameras to video-tape begging and food transfer within tree cavities, 3) to study mate selection and reproductive success in the hybrid zone and to determine whether ectoparasitism is a cost of reusing tree cavities year after year. Over the past 9 years, I have established one of the largest and most intensive studies of woodpeckers in the world.  The large sample size of nests facilitates an experimental approach and the ability to capture and colour-band nearly 100% of adults allows me to incorporate factors such as age, experience, body condition, and morphology into models of parental effort.  Data on woodpecker reproduction also has practical uses.  Woodpeckers are important as keystone species in forest ecosystems and are targets for conservation. The baseline reproductive and life history data collected during this long-term study will be useful for modelling population dynamics and maintaining these species on the landscape.