Todd M. Jones, PhD
Assistant Research Biologist
Conservation Science of Military Landscapes
Archbold Biological Station
Post-fledging Ecology of Songbirds
I am interested in the causes and consequences of post-fledging survival in juvenile songbirds. The post-fledging period appears to be a critical life stage for birds, often characterized by high rates of juvenile mortality, and as such may play a crucial role in population dynamic and evolution of avian life histories. For my Masters and PhD research, I examined the presence and role of pre- to post-fledging carryover effect in mediating life history variation among songbirds species. Results from this research show clear links between nest mortality, nestling period length, and wing development that dictate carryover effects and differential post-fledging survival within and among species. In addition to studying parental species, my research also examines how these links influence the life histories of passerine brood parasites, such as the Brown-headed Cowbird.
My past research has also used cutting edge technologies to give novel insights into the behaviors of fledgling birds. As a graduates research assistant, I utilized automated radio-telemetry systems (ARTS) to characterize daily and age related patterns of activity. ARTS consist of 4 to 8 towers which are able to detect and record signal strength and bearing of radio-tagged birds within 500m of each tower, throughout the entire day. Consequently, ARTS allows for the collection of continuous, high-resolution spatial-temporal data on radio-tagged fledglings from multiple species at the same time. In addition to our past work on activity patterns, we are currently using this activity to evaluate fledgling home ranges and associated habitat use across songbird species.
Currently, as a postdoctoral research I'm collaborating on projects examining the effects of anthropogenic disturbance (noise and light pollution; Phillips Lab) and climate-induced environmental change (Hubbard Brook Field Ornithology Program) on the post-fledging ecology of songbirds.
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Associated Publications:
Jones, T. M, A. J. Di Giovanni, M. E. Hauber, and M. P. Ward. 2023. Ontogenetic effects of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbird on host offspring. Ecology 104: e3925.
Jones, T. M., T. J. Benson, M. E. Hauber, and M. P. Ward. 2022. Host-community wide patterns of post-fledging behavior and survival of obligate brood parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds. Oecologia 198: 981-993.
Jones, T. M., and M. P. Ward. 2022. Post-fledging behavioral ecology of migratory songbirds: how do fledgling activity rates vary across species? Behavioral Ecology 33: 336-342.
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Merrill, L., Jones, T. M., J. D. Brawn, and M. P. Ward. 2021. Early life patterns of growth are linked to levels of phenotypic trait covariance and post-fledging mortality across avian species. Ecology and Evolution 11: 15695-15707.
Jones, T. M., and M. P. Ward. 2021. Parasitic cowbird development up to fledging and subsequent post-fledging survival reflect life history variation found across host species. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 75: 133.
Jones, T. M., J. D. Brawn, I. J. Ausprey, A. C. Vitz, A. D. Rodewald, D. W. Raybuck, T. J. Boves, C. J. Fiss, D. J. McNeil, S. H. Stoleson, J. L. Larking, W. A. Cox, A. C. Schwarzer, N. P. Horsley, E. M. Trumbo, and M. P. Ward. 2020. Parental benefits and offspring costs reflect parent-offspring conflict over the age of fledging among songbirds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 117: 30539-30546.
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Jones, T. M., and M. P. Ward. 2020. Pre- to post-fledging carryover effects and the adaptive significance of variation in wing development for juvenile songbirds. Journal of Animal Ecology 89: 2235-2245.
Pollock, H. S. J. A. Savidge, M. Kastner, T. F. Seibert, and T. M. Jones. 2019. Pervasive impacts of invasive brown treesnakes drive low fledgling survival in endangered Micronesian Starlings (Aplonis opaca) on Guam. The Condor: Ornithological Applications 121: 1-11.
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Jones, T. M., J. D. Brawn, and M. P. Ward. 2018. Development of activity rates in fledgling songbirds: when do young birds begin to behave like adults? Behaviour 155: 337-350.
Jones, T. M., J. D. Brawn, and M. P. Ward. 2017. Post-fledging habitat use in the Dickcissel. The Condor: Ornithological Applications 119: 497-504.
Jones, T. M., M. P. Ward, T. J. Benson, and J. D. Brawn. 2017. Variation in nestling body condition and wing development predict cause-specific mortality in fledgling Dickcissels. Journal of Avian Biology 48: 439-447.