C. C. Taff

Corticosterone exposure causes long-term changes in DNA methylation, physiology, and breeding decisions in a wild bird.

This study shows that corticosterone exposure in wild tree swallows leads to long-term changes in DNA methylation, physiology, and breeding behavior.

Inconsistent shifts in warming and temperature variability negatively impact avian fitness

This study examines how inconsistent shifts in warming and temperature variability affect avian fitness by analyzing breeding records and temperature data for North American songbirds.

Joint effects of social interactions and environmental challenges on physiology, internal microbiome, and reproductive performance in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor).

The paper manipulates social interactions and ecological challenges in tree swallows to assess their joint effects on physiology, microbiome, and reproductive success, finding limited interaction between the two treatment types.

Developmental stage-dependent effects of perceived predation risk on physiology and fledging success of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor)

This study shows that simulated predation during the early nestling period negatively affects tree swallow nestlings' condition, telomere length, and fledging success, with social environment manipulations affecting nestling size but not stress responses.

Understanding spatiotemporal effects of food supplementation on host-parasite interactions using community-based science

This study examines how food supplementation affects eastern bluebirds and their nest parasites across the eastern U.S., finding increased fledgling success but inconsistent parasite defense effects.

Experimental effects of within-brood genetic variation on parasite resistance in a wild bird host

This study examines how within-brood genetic variation and nestling sex affect parasite resistance in eastern bluebirds, finding that female-biased nests have lower parasite loads.

Within-individual consistency and between-individual variation in the shapes of eggs laid by tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor)

This study examines egg shape and size variation in tree swallows, finding high individual repeatability and age-related changes, with no link to nestling outcomes.

The relative speed of the glucorticoid stress response varies independently of scope and is predicted by environmental variability and longevity across birds.

This study examines how the speed and scope of the glucocorticoid stress response vary across bird species and finds that relative speed is independent of absolute scope and linked to environmental variability and longevity.

Investigating a trade-off between the quality of nest grown feathers and pace of development in an altricial bird.

The paper investigates a trade-off between nest-grown feather quality and developmental speed in tree swallows, finding no evidence for a negative association between the two traits.

Environmental unpredictability shapes glucocorticoid regulation across populations of tree swallows

This study examines how environmental unpredictability influences glucocorticoid regulation in tree swallow populations, finding stronger stress responses in unpredictable environments and a mitigating effect of negative feedback.

Plumage manipulation alters the integration of social behavior, physiology, internal microbiome, and fitness.

The paper manipulates plumage in female tree swallows to show that signal variation independently affects social behavior, physiology, microbiome, and reproductive fitness.