Repeated Successful Nest Sharing and Cooperation Between Western Kingbirds () and a Female Western Kingbird × Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher () Hybrid.

Nest sharing by birds, or the phenomenon where multiple individuals of different species contribute genetically and parentally to offspring in a single nest, is a rare form of cooperative breeding that has only occasionally been reported in socially monogamous birds. Here we describe, both behaviorally and genetically, the unique case of two female birds, a western kingbird () and a western kingbird × scissor-tailed flycatcher () hybrid, simultaneously occupying (and likely co-incubating eggs in) a single nest. Both females provisioned nestlings, and they did this in two consecutive years (producing four fledglings each year).

Restoration age affects microbial-herbaceous plant interactions in an oak woodland.

In degraded ecosystems, soil microbial communities (SMCs) may influence the outcomes of ecological restoration. Restoration practices can affect SMCs, though it is unclear how variation in the onset of restoration activities in woodlands affects SMCs, how those SMCs influence the performance of hard-to-establish woodland forbs, and how different woodland forbs shape SMCs. In this study, we quantified soil properties and species abundances in an oak woodland restoration chronosequence (young, intermediate, and old restorations).

Multi-population puma connectivity could restore genomic diversity to at-risk coastal populations in California.

Urbanization is decreasing wildlife habitat and connectivity worldwide, including for apex predators, such as the puma (). Puma populations along California's central and southern coastal habitats have experienced rapid fragmentation from development, leading to calls for demographic and genetic management. To address urgent conservation genomic concerns, we used double-digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing to analyze 16,285 genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 401 pumas sampled broadly across the state.

Minimum habitat thresholds required for conserving mountain lion genetic diversity.

Jointly considering the ecology (e.g., habitat use) and genetics (e.