Ecology and Management of Cowbirds and Their Hosts: Studies in the Conservation of North American Passerine Birds

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

In the past two centuries, cowbirds have increased in numbers and extended their range across North America, while many of the native songbird species whose nests they parasitize to raise their young have declined. This timely book collects forty essays by most of the principal authorities on the biology and management of cowbirds. The book’s goals are to explore the biology of cowbirds, the threats they pose to host species and populations, and the management programs that are being undertaken to minimize these threats. The book is organized into five sections, each with an extended editors’ introduction that places the contributions in a broad, up-to-date setting. The sections cover:* The changing abundance of cowbirds and the ways in which their numbers can be estimated.* Host choice by cowbirds, the negative effects of cowbirds on particular host species, and the daily patterns of cowbird behavior.* Behavioral interactions between cowbirds and specific host species.* Patterns of cowbird abundance and host use across varying landscapes.* Management programs designed to control cowbirds and protect threatened songbirds.