1 Avian Coloniality: Progress and Problems. - 1. Introduction. - 2. Historical Background. - 3. Phylogenetic Analyses. - 4. Limitation of Breeding Sites. - 5. The Costs and Benefits of Coloniality. - 6. Social Foraging and Coloniality. - 7. Reproductive Success and Habitat Selection. - 8. Sexual Selection and Coloniality. - 9. Variation in Colony Size. - 10. Prospectus. - References. - 2 Begging in Nestling Birds. - 1. ParentOffspring Conflict. - 2. The Importance of Signaling. - 3. Begging Signals. - 4. Begging as Competition among Nestmates. - 5. The Importance of Offspring Sex. - 6. The Role of Biparental Care. - 7. An Alternative Perspective. - 8. Conclusions. - References. - 3 Ecological Aspects of Neophobia and Neophilia in Birds. - 1. Introduction. - 2. How Neophobia and Neophilia Are Studied. - 3. What Determines the Intensity of Neophobia and Neophilia in Adult Birds. - 4. Exploration in Juvenile Birds. - 5. Comparative Studies of Neophobia and Exploration. - 6. Conclusions and Future Directions. - References. - 4 Avian Quantitative Genetics. - 1. Introduction. - 2. Components of Phenotypic Variation. - 3. Tools of the Trade. - 4. Empirical Data. - 5. Maternal Effects. - 6. Extra-Pair Paternity. - 7. Quantitative Genetics of Fitness. - 8. Genotype-Environment Interactions. - 9. Genetic Basis of Population Differentiation. - 10. Applications of Quantitative Genetics to Avian Evolution. - 11. Further Prospects. - 12. Conclusions. - References. - 5 Male Parental Care and Paternity. - 1. Introduction. - 2. Theoretical Models. - 3. Field Studies: Testing Predictions and Assumptions. - 4. Interspecific Analyses. - 5. Conclusions and Future Directions. - References. - 6 Physiological Ecology and Behavior of Desert Birds. - 1. Introduction. - 2. Energy. - 3. Water. - 4. Thermoregulation. - 5. Optimization Processes. - 6. Summary. - References. - 7 Reproductive Energy Expenditure Intraspecific Variation and Fitness in Birds. - 1. Introduction. - 2. Is Reproduction Energetically Costly and at What Stage Is It Most Costly?. - 3. Intraspecific Variation in Daily Energy Expenditure: Biological Variation or Measurement Error?. - 4. Repeatability of Daily Energy Expenditure Measurements. - 5. Individual Environmental and Activity-Related Correlates of DEE. - 6. Metabolic Rate and Body Mass: Intraspecific versus Interspecific Scaling. - 7. Relationships between DEE and Measures of Reproductive Effort or Fitness. - 8. Conclusions and Recommendations for Future Research. - References. Language: English