Behavioral ecology

Behavioral ecology is an integrative field that span many different topics from genes and physiology to ecology and evolutionary biology. In this dissertation, I studied territoriality, behavioral plasticity and syndromes, song learning, and natal dispersal in the Bachman’s sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis), an imperiled songbird that is understudied in many aspects of its behavior. In chapter one, I provide a background of behavioral ecology, the topics covered in this dissertation, and the Bachman’s sparrow. In chapter two, I determine if the ideal despotic distribution applies to Bachman’s sparrows. In chapter three, I examine whether two common personality traits, aggressiveness and boldness, are consistent over time and form a behavioral syndrome, or if they change in relation to environmental variables. My last chapter infers song learning and natal dispersal strategies in Bachman’s sparrows from examining patterns song-type sharing over geographic distance.

In 2012, a new monkey species, Cercopithecus lomamiensis (lesula), was discovered in the Central Congo basin. Lesula is a semi-terrestrial rainforest guenon endemic to the area. Using a systematic grid approach, three terrestrial camera trap surveys (two inside the Lomami National Park; one in the buffer zone) were conducted over three years to capture the cryptic species. The objectives of my study were to expand knowledge on the behavioral ecology of lesula and evaluate lesula’s sensitivity to hunting threats. The main findings from my study included: confirmation of terrestriality and diurnality, births clustering during the wet season, social group living of one male and multiple females, and high impact of hunting on group size. By studying the latest added species to the Cercopithecini tribe, my thesis helps to better understand the ecological diversity occurring within this radiation of African primates and contributes to the species’ long-term conservation efforts.