Coordination of incubation and chick rearing behaviours in an Australian passerine
Employer: Deakin University, VIC, Australia
Location: Geelong, Victoria
Country: Australia
Last Date to Apply: 05/31/2025
Description (March - July ****)
I am seeking a student or volunteer to contribute to a project which focuses on coordination of parental behaviours at the nest in the Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus), an Australian burrow-nesting passerine bird. The student will assist with processing data collected during 2 field seasons ********** and *********) as part of my PhD project on the breeding ecology and the parental behaviours of the Spotted Pardalote. The position is based in Geelong, one hour from Melbourne.
Biparental care has been commonly studied as a 'tug-of-war' between the female and male (sexual conflict), where each pair member tries to optimize its own fitness by taking advantage of the other. Coordination of the parental activities at the nest (nest visits, incubation bouts, chick feeding) has been theorised as a means to solve this sexual conflict.
Your project will use data collected during my PhD study which aims to investigate a different viewpoint of biparental care: one that considers the links between cooperation, coordination and communication within pairs in the Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus). During two field seasons ********** and *********), I gathered data on parental coordination at the nest using video and audio recordings.
The data was collected in Brisbane Ranges National Park, Victoria, Australia. The position does not involve fieldwork. The University is in Geelong, Victoria.
Requirements to participate
Positive communication and teamwork skills
Interest in ornithology and/or in behavioural ecology
Hard work and high motivation
BSc, Honours or MSc degree in related fields
Commitment of at least 2 months to the project (between March and July ****), candidate willing to commit for longer periods will be favoured
Compensation
The position is unpaid. However, I offer free shared accommodation and an allowance for groceries (meals) for the volunteer.
References
Borrel, C. Beyond sexual conflict: drivers of breeding success in the Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus). Ecological Society of Australia Blog blog/beyond-sexual-conflict/
Griffith, S. C. *****) Cooperation and Coordination in Socially Monogamous Birds: Moving Away From a Focus on Sexual Conflict. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution [Online], 7. Available from: articles/*******/fevo.. (to read)
#J-*****-Ljbffr