Sarah Sloane on DNA, Kinship and Competition: Unraveling the Complex Social Web of Bushtits”
The Bushtit is a common nonmigratory species known for its cooperative breeding and intricate social dynamics. In this talk, Sarah Sloane will share insights, showcasing a range of fascinating behaviors. These include how young from the previous year assist with nest care, and variations on mating relationships. Using new DNA evidence, Dr. Sloane will discuss how these flexible and complex social behaviors provide a deeper understanding of cooperation, kinship, and reproductive strategies in this adorable, common backyard species.
Dr. Sloane received her PhD from the University of Michigan focusing on the Bushtit in SE Arizona. Inspired by the sociality of Arizonian Bushtit, she migrated her research to the Pacific Northwest in 2013. Dr. Sloane is author of the Birds of the World chapter on Bushtits, and is currently Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Maine at Farmington.