Welcome to the American Ornithological Society 2018 Annual Conference. We are pleased to have you join us at the lovely Hilton El Conquistador Resort in Tucson, AZ.
Behavioral barriers to reproduction – such as assortative mating – are increasingly recognized as important factors in the generation and maintenance of avian species boundaries. Yet, because mate choice is the product of interactions between individuals within a complex social context, it is particularly difficult to quantify behavioral processes affecting gene flow in the field. One promising approach to more deeply probe the role of behavior on gene flow, including in hybrid zones, is the dual use of automatically logged association data, and network analysis methods. In this study, I combine data from RFID tags and network analysis approaches to test how differences in phenotypes influence social behavior and pair bonding in a natural hybrid zone between the California (Callipepla californica) and Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii). Here, I show that sex, plumage traits, and mass influence associations and pair bonding in different ways within a sympatric population, across different periods of the breeding season. By using a network approach, I am also able to characterize the population-level phenotypic assortment that emerges as a result of dyadic interactions. This study expands upon our understanding of the influence of behavior on gene flow within hybrid zones, and offers a novel approach for measuring behavioral assortment by multiple phenotypes, across time, within wild populations. Understanding behavioral reproductive isolation in birds is critical, as gene flow between populations can shape processes of adaptation, genetic divergence, and even population persistence.
