Bird-Parasite Interactions : Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour

Parasites play a role in almost every aspect of the ecology, behaviour, and evolution of birds, and of vertebrates in general. This book looks at bird diseases and their epidemiology from an ecological and evolutionary perspective, investigating how individual growth, survival, and reproduction, as well as species abundance and distribution, are affected by parasite burdens.

Birds are hosts to many parasites, internal and external. The parasites inevitably form a burden to the host bird and therefore may affect its ability to grow, survive, and reproduce; its behaviour; and the distribution and abundance of the whole species. In consequence, bird-parasite systems have attracted attention from diverse fields and the literature has been spread out in a wide range of specialized journals. The editors of this book have drawn together a comprehensive range of experts in the field to provide an invaluable reference of current work in bird-parasite interactions.The book is divided into four parts. The introduction provides the contemporary context of research in bird-parasite systems and presents case studies which combine theoretical concepts with experimental data. Subsequent parts focus on the ecology; behavioural responses; and the effect of parasitism on sexual selection.