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My project touches on a couple theories, as it is determining when birds are most active in response to differing weather patterns.
My research is based on reproductive fitness and survival, as birds need to leave their nests in varying weather conditions in order to gather food and provide for themselves and their progeny. There are two theories that effect fitness and survival I read about while doing research they are as follows:
Optimal foraging theory: the individual will adapt foraging strategies to gain the most at the smallest cost
Movement Ecology paradigm: individual movements are the result of interactions between navigational capacities, environmental factors, and individual internal state
The birds in my research project play on both of these theories in that when they leave their nests they are producing movements (i.e. flapping or gliding) based on navigational capacities, environmental factors, and individual internal state. They are also trying to gain the most energy at the smallest cost which also influences their reactions to certain weather conditions.
Key words: reproductive fitness; optimal foraging theory; movement ecology paradigm
