Langmore Group - Avian evolutionary and behavioural ecology

We study many aspects of evolutionary and behavioural ecology in birds, with particular emphasis on co-evolution between brood parasites and their hosts, signalling (songs, calls and displays), mimicry and crypsis, breeding systems, and evolutionary responses to climate change. Our main approach is to use field experiments and observations to test evolutionary theory.

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Selected publications

  • Langmore, NE, Hunt, S & Kilner, RM (2003) Escalation of a coevolutionary arms race through host rejection of brood parasitic young. Nature, 422, 157-160.
  • Russell AF, Langmore NE, Cockburn A, Astheimer LB, Kilner RM. (2007). Reduced egg investment can conceal helper effects in cooperatively breeding birds. Science 317: 941-944.
  • Langmore, N.E., Maurer, G., Adcock, G.J., Kilner, R.M. (2008). Socially acquired host-specific mimicry and the evolution of host races in Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo Chalcites basalisEvolution 62: 1689-1699.
  • Heinsohn, R., Langmore, N. E., Cockburn, A., Kokko, H. (2011) Adaptive sex ratio adjustments via sex-specific infanticide in a bird. Current Biology, 21: 1744-1747.
  • Kilner R. M. and Langmore, N. E. (2011) Cuckoos versus hosts in insects and birds: adaptations, counter-adaptations and outcomes. Biological Reviews, 86: 836-852
  • Langmore, N. E., Stevens, M., Maurer, G., Heinsohn, R., Hall, M. L., Peters, A., Kilner, R. M. (2011). Visual mimicry of host nestlings by cuckoos. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences 278: 2455-2463
  • Feeney, W, Medina, I, Somveille, M, Heinsohn, R, Hall, ML, Mulder, RA, Stein, JA, Kilner, RM, Langmore, NE (2013) Brood parasitism and the evolution of cooperative breeding in birds. Science 342: 1506-1508
  • Odom, KJ, Hall, ML, Riebel, K, Omland, KE, Langmore, NE (2014) Female song is common and ancestral in songbirds. Nature Communications, Published online 2014/03/04/online, Vol 5 article 3379.
  • Heinsohn, R., Zdenek, C. N., Cunningham, R. B., Endler, J., Langmore, N. E. (2017) Tool-assisted drumming in a wild bird population. Science Advances, 3 (6): e1602399
  • Riebel, K, Odom, KJ, Langmore, NE, Hall, ML. (2019) New insights from female bird song: towards an integrated approach to studying male and female communication roles. Biology Letters, 20190059
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All publications

Naomi Langmore

Story | Monday 8 September 2014
Group research focus

Cuckoos trick other cuckoos in the race to own the nest

Story | Wednesday 13 August 2014
Australian native cuckoos are engaged in an arms race, competing with each other to take over other species’ nests.
Female Superb fairy wren singing. Image: John Young.

Female birds rival males in bird song

Story | Wednesday 5 March 2014
A new study overturns long-held theories that bird song is an exclusively male trait.

Chickless birds guard nests of relatives

Story | Friday 20 December 2013

A Margaret Middleton Research Award to Amanda Edworthy

Story | Wednesday 16 January 2013

Researchers reveal baby-killer birds

Story | Monday 24 October 2011

The parental arms race

Story | Friday 1 July 2011
Australian cuckoos are taking new evolutionary steps to ensure maximum chance of survival. By Lucy Wedlock

Wrens prove there’s safety in numbers

Story | Monday 13 June 2011

Cuckoos evolve to fool angry birds

Story | Thursday 13 January 2011
Australian cuckoo birds have taken a new evolutionary step - mimicking the colour of their host young to avoid certain death, according to a study by researchers from The Australian National University.

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