1. The Effects of El Niño on Greater Ani Reproductive Biology
Zachariah Smart ‘19

2. 2006 – present Barro Colorado Island
We used long-term data set from study population in Panama to test these hypotheses.
2006 – present

3. Greater Ani – Crotophaga major

4. Lone pairs are rare and never successful
Eggs Nestlings Fledglings
Previous work has shown that cooperation is favored by direct fitness benefits of communal nest defense; females essentially never nest alone, and reproductive success increases with group size.
Riehl 2011, Proc B
Riehl et al Anim. Behaviour

5. Riehl and Bogdanowicz 2009, Mol. Ecol.
The goal of our long-term study is to understand lifetime reproductive fitness and individual parasitic and cooperative histories.
Riehl and Bogdanowicz 2009, Mol. Ecol.

6. El Niño
Weather Underground, 2016

7. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

8. 2015-16 El Niño Event Among strongest El Niño events on record
Particularly during 2015 Ani breeding season, BCI received very little precipitation
STRI Physical Monitoring Program, public data, August 2016

9. Effects of El Niño on the Anis

10. Thank You! PEI Professor Christie Riehl STRI Ani Team Meghan Strong
Amanda Savagian
Luke Carabbia

11. Group Size – Costs and Benefits