Unveiling the Breeding Biology and Life History Evolution in Birds

A special issue of Birds (ISSN 2673-6004).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 805

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Life Sciences, Yangtze University, 1 South-Loop Road, Jingzhou 434025, China
Interests: life history evolution of bird; avian ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
Interests: avian ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an 343009, China
Interests: avian ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, there are over 11,000 extant bird species, exhibiting a remarkable diversity of breeding strategies and life history traits. These range from variations in clutch size and parental care to differences in lifespan and age at first reproduction. Understanding the breeding biology of these species forms the foundation of avian life history theory. However, it is concerning that approximately 30% of bird species have not had their breeding biology documented in the "Handbook of the Birds of the World". These gaps in knowledge may impede our comprehensive understanding of avian life histories. It is imperative for ornithologists to intensify efforts in exploring the breeding biology of these lesser-known species. This Special Issue focuses on the following topics:

  1. Breeding Biology of Lesser-Known Avian Species: Investigating the reproductive strategies of species whose breeding biology remains undocumented.
  2. Breeding Biology in Understudied Habitats or Extreme Environments: Exploring how birds adapt their reproductive strategies to thrive in challenging or poorly understood habitats.
  3. Variation in Life-History Traits Between High and Low Altitudes: Examining how altitude influences life history traits and reproductive strategies in birds.
  4. Reproductive Strategies of Birds in Diverse Habitats: Analyzing how different environmental conditions shape the breeding strategies of avian species.
  5. Unique Avian Behaviors and Their Adaptive Evolution: Investigating specialized behaviors in birds and their evolutionary significance.
  6. Comparative Studies on Avian Ecology and Behaviour: Conducting comparative analyses to understand ecological and behavioral adaptations across different bird species.

Breeding biology and life history traits are crucial for understanding how birds adapt to their environments. They provide essential insights into the adaptive strategies birds employ to maximize reproductive success and survival. This Special Issue aims to fill critical gaps in our understanding of avian breeding biology and life history evolution, thereby enhancing our knowledge of how birds adapt to their ever-changing environments.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Animals.

Prof. Dr. Shaobin Li
Dr. Changcao Wang
Dr. Weibin Guo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Birds is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • avian
  • breeding biology
  • life history
  • reproductive strategies
  • ecological adaptation
  • evolutionary ecology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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10 pages, 1248 KiB  
Brief Report
From Nest to Nest: High-Precision GPS-GSM Tracking Reveals Full Natal Dispersal Process in a First-Year Female Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus
by Giampiero Sammuri, Guido Alari Esposito, Marta De Paulis, Francesco Pezzo, Andrea Sforzi and Flavio Monti
Birds 2025, 6(3), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/birds6030040 - 6 Aug 2025
Viewed by 289
Abstract
This report presents the first complete natal dispersal trajectory of a female Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus, tracked in real time from fledging to first breeding using high-resolution continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry. The bird’s first flight occurred on 26 July 2024, [...] Read more.
This report presents the first complete natal dispersal trajectory of a female Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus, tracked in real time from fledging to first breeding using high-resolution continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry. The bird’s first flight occurred on 26 July 2024, initiating a 31-day post-fledging dependence phase (PFDP), followed by a 23-day pre-migratory phase (PMP), during which it explored areas up to 280.8 km from the nest and eventually settled ca. 190 km away in the Sirente-Velino Regional Park. From there, autumn migration began on 18 September 2024. The bird reached its first wintering site in Mali by 15 October. It used four wintering areas over 178 days, with a winter home range of 37,615.02 km2. Spring migration started on 11 April 2025 and lasted 21 days, ending with arrival in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park (Central Italy) on 2 May. The bird used two main sites during the pre-breeding phase (PRBP) before laying eggs on 2 June 2025. The natal dispersal distance, from birthplace to nest site, was 151.28 km. Over 311 days, it covered a total of 14,522.23 km. These findings highlight the value of advanced telemetry in revealing early-life movement ecology and are useful for understanding species-specific patterns of survival, reproduction, and space use and can inform conservation actions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unveiling the Breeding Biology and Life History Evolution in Birds)
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