Current Ornithology

1 The Role of Phylogenetic History in the Evolution of Contemporary Avian Mating and Parental Care Systems.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Paternal Care in Ratites and Tinamous.- 3. Clutch Size in Shorebirds.- 4. Classical Polyandry in Shorebirds.- 5. Classical Polyandry in a Cuckoo.- 6. Classical Polyandry: General Conclusions.- 7. Cavity Nesting and Roosting by Coraciiform, Piciform, and Trogoniform Birds.- 8. Nocturnal Incubation by Males in Cuckoos and Woodpeckers.- 9. Phylogenetic Components of Cooperative Breeding.- 10. General Conclusions.- References.- 2 Trophic Structure of Raptor Communities: A Three-Continent Comparison and Synthesis.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Materials and Methods.- 3. Results.- 4. Conclusions.- Appendices.- References.- 3 Matrix Methods for Avian Demography.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Setting Up Matrix-Based Models.- 3. Calculating Demographic Parameters.- 4. Fitness, Sensitivities, and Elasticities.- 5. Variances and Confidence Limits.- 6. Applications to Field Studies andExisting Models.- 7. A Case Study—Florida Scrub Jays.- 8. Summary and Synthesis.- Appendix: Glossary of Terms.- References.- 4 Nocturnality in Colonial Waterbirds: Occurrence, Special Adaptations, and Suspected Benefits.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Nocturnal Habits.- 3. Special Adaptations.- 4. Suspected Benefits.- 5. Discussion and Conclusions.- References.- 5 Latitudinal Gradients in Avian Species Diversity and the Role of Long-Distance Migration.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Methods.- 3. Results.- 4. Discussion.- 5. Summary.- References.- 6 Evolution of Avian Ontogenies.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Ontogeny and Time.- 3. Eggs, Clutch Size, and Incubation.- 4. Postnatal Growth and Ontogeny.- 5. Ecological Constraints on Developmental Mode.- 6. The Embryonic Development of Integument.- 7. The Development of the Skeleton.- 8. The Development of the Brain.- 9. The Development of the Intestine.- 10. Conclusions and Summary.- References.