Young female birds must seek older mates to adapt better to varying environmental conditions.

New research from the University of Guelph which appears in this month’s issue of Animal Behaviour ,shows young female birds with older mates are more likely to nest during optimal times and adapt better to varying environmental conditions than those paired with younger males. “It’s the first study to show males have a big influence – in birds – on female nesting decisions,” said Ryan Norris, a professor in U of G’s Department of Integrative Biology. He worked on the study with researchers Shannon Whelan and Julie Morand-Ferron of the University of Ottawa, and Dan Stickland. It’s also a critical finding for understanding impacts of climate change, Whelan added.“How females can adjust to changing conditions over their lifetime is important for predicting future effects of climate change. Can they just keep adjusting, or is there a limit?” continue