
Gulls and Plovers
The Ecology and Behaviour of Mixed-Species Feeding Groups
Springer (Publisher)
Published on 23. August 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
XII, 302 pages
978-94-010-8652-3 (ISBN)
Description
In the early years of this century a Scottish doctor speculated on the evolutionary origin of human tears. It seemed to him that with the increase in brain size and cognitive powers of our early ancestors many events in the struggle for existence would be just too distressing to observe. How comforting then, for the mother, distraught by the sight of her child being devoured by a lion, to cloud her vision with a flood of tears! Just so, though if the good doctor had pondered further, the following picture might have occurred to him, comfortable in his speculative armchair, and given him some pause for thought. ' ~ . . . . ~ . . ~ ~ . . . . u" . . , ~- . ' _ . . . . . . . vii viii SERIES EDITOR'S FOREWORD These stories do not, of course, get us very far in understanding the evolution of tears or anything else, but they do remind us how far the study of behavioural adaptation has come this century. This is, in fact, an exciting time for students of behaviour. The last twenty years have seen a great advance in the theoretical armoury for tackling questions of behavioural evolution and adaptation, and a parallel expansion in empirical studies, particularly in the field. The concepts of inclusive fitness and the evolutionarily stable strategy, for example, have helped to explain major features of social behaviour and have generated entirely new questions and predictions for the field worker to examine.
Reviews / Votes
Gulls and Plovers tells a fascinating story of give and take ...At every turn, predictions derived from optimal foraging theory and detection theory are tested with quantitative data. This is one of a growing number of studies emerging from the presses after lengthy gestation. They will confound the critics who have so vociferously denounced the functional approach to behaviour for its lack of scientific method. New Scientist; ...there is much interesting new detail in the book and some new ways of looking at the inter-relationships of flocking and foraging strategies. NatureMore details
Series
Edition
Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1985
Language
English
Place of publication
Dordrecht
Netherlands
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Research
Illustrations
61 s/w Abbildungen
XII, 302 p. 61 illus.
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
487 gr
ISBN-13
978-94-010-8652-3 (9789401086523)
DOI
10.1007/978-94-009-4864-8
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

C.J. Barnard | D.B.A. Thompson
Gulls and Plovers
The Ecology and Behaviour of Mixed-Species Feeding Groups
E-Book
12/2012
Springer
€96.29
Available for download
C. J. Barnard | D.B.A. Thompson
Gulls and Plovers
Book
09/1985
Kluwer Academic Publishers
€109.28
Article exhausted; check different version
Content
1. Why Feed in Flocks?.- 2. Gulls and Plovers.- 3. Choosing Where to Feed: Choice of Field.- 4. Choosing Where to Feed: Choice within Fields.- 5. Choosing What to Eat.- 6. Time Budgeting and Feeding Efficiency.- 7. Flock Dynamics: Patterns of Arrival and Departure.- 8. Kleptoparasitism: Host and Prey Selection by Gulls.- 9. Vigilance, Alarm Responses and an Early Warning System.- 10. Gulls and Plovers: an Overview.- References.