DISSERTATION RESEARCH:Individual Quality, and Extraterritorial Forays in Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla).

在这个项目中，沃德博士和穆里略先生将研究鸟类在其领地内和领地之间的时空运动以及它们的额外配对互动。研究人员将研究鸟类寻找和选择额外配偶的策略，雌性生出非配偶后代的频率，雄性质量对额外配偶交配的影响，以及额外配偶交配的健康后果。这些信息将有助于开发有效的栖息地和景观管理措施，以保护灌木鸟类，如本研究中的野麻雀。这项研究利用了一个自动跟踪系统，使研究人员能够跟踪鸟类的运动。人们通常认为，由于有领地意识的鸟类会争夺筑巢地点、食物、配偶和其他资源，它们应该尽可能地将自己隔开。这项研究测试了另一种假设，即鸟类（雄性和雌性）从彼此靠近中受益。因此，当试图保护这一物种和其他物种时，最好的方法可能是管理大片区域，以容纳许多筑巢的个体。此外，作为一名拉丁裔研究人员，穆里略将在当地的一个自然保护区开展“野外日”活动，鼓励香槟地区高中的拉丁裔学生选择科学领域的职业。在野外活动期间，学生和老师将学习一系列研究动物的野外技术。父权研究彻底改变了我们对鸟类交配和生殖系统的看法，然而，很少有研究关注雄性和雌性获得额外配对的行为机制，这些行为在个体和时间之间是如何变化的，以及这些行为对个体整体生殖表现的相对贡献。主动寻找和被动等待策略的相对使用可能取决于许多因素，如性别、年龄和个人素质。沃德博士和穆里略先生将使用一种新技术——自动无线电遥测技术，在更大的区域、更长的时间和夜间监测雄性和雌性野麻雀（Spizella pussilla）的活动和越界行为。研究人员还将研究进行这些突袭的鸟类的行为和形态的相关性。他们将测试一种假设，即攻击行为的个体差异似乎与雄性个体质量（基于歌曲表演和身体状况）有关。利用先前收集的后代血液样本，研究人员提议调查配偶和额外配偶质量以及绿帽子对雄性和雌性突袭行为的影响。本研究收集的数据将在movebank （https://www.movebank.org/）中存档；一个由马克斯普朗克鸟类研究所托管的免费的在线动物跟踪数据存储库。野地麻雀的运动/活动、生殖和声学数据也将被存档在伊利诺伊大学的IDEALs（伊利诺伊州学习和奖学金获取数字环境）和沃德博士的实验室。

In this project Dr. Ward and Mr. Murillo will investigate the spatio-temporal movements of birds within and between their territories and their extra-pair interactions. The researchers will study the strategies that birds use to find and select extra-pair mates, how often females produce young that are not sired by their pair-mates, the influence of male quality on extra-pair mating and the fitness consequences of extra-pair mating. This information will contribute to the development of effective habitat and landscape management practices for protecting shrubland birds, like the Field Sparrows in this study. This study takes advantage of an automated tracking system allowing the researchers to follow the movements of birds. It is often thought that because territorial birds compete for nest sites, food, mates, and other resources they should try to space themselves as far apart possible. This research tests an alternative hypothesis that birds (both males and females) benefit from being near one another. Therefore when trying to conserve this and other species the best approach may be to manage large areas that can accommodate many nesting individuals. In addition, Mr. Murillo, a Latino researcher, will develop "Go Wild Field Day" at a local nature preserve to encourage Latinos from high schools in the Champaign area to choose careers in science. During the field day, students and teachers will learn a range of field techniques for studying animals.Paternity studies revolutionized our view of avian mating and reproductive systems, yet, very little research has focused on understanding the behavioral mechanisms used by males and females to acquire extra-pair matings, how these behaviors vary among individuals and over time, and the relative contribution of such behaviors to an individual's overall reproductive performance. The relative use of each active search and passive mating sit and wait tactics may depend on numerous factors, such as sex, age, and individual quality. Dr. Ward and Mr. Murillo will use a novel technology, automated radio telemetry, to monitor activity and extraterritorial forays in male and female Field Sparrows (Spizella pussilla) over larger areas, long periods of time and at night. The researchers will also examine the behavioral and morphological correlates of birds conducting these forays. They will test the hypothesis that individual variation in foray behavior appears to be linked to male individual quality (based on song performance and body condition). Using previously collected blood samples of offspring, the researchers propose to investigate the influence of mate and extra-pair mate quality and cuckoldry on male and female foray behavior. The data collected from this research will be archived within movebank (https://www.movebank.org/); a free, online data repository of animal tracking data hosted by Max Planck Institute for Ornithology. The movement/activity, reproductive and acoustic data on Field Sparrows will also be archived at the University of Illinois' IDEALs (Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship) and in Dr. Ward's laboratory.