I am a behavioral ecologist that uses molecular genetic techniques combined with field work to investigate the interactions between avian brood parasites and their hosts. Avian brood parasites such as the Brown-headed Cowbird lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and rely on these hosts to raise their offspring. Many hosts accept the eggs of the cowbird and end up raising fewer of their own young. The intricate, reciprocal interactions between brood parasites and their hosts make them a model for studying coevolution. I am particularly interested in why relatively few hosts reject cowbird eggs. My fieldwork has been conducted in a variety of locations (see “Picture from the Field”). In addition to my interests in brood parasitism, I am also interested in mating systems, sexual selection, avian communication, systematics, molecular ecology, toxicology, game theory applications to animal interactions, and avian conservation.
I am always looking for hard working, dedicated students who are curious about the natural world. I prefer that my students work on projects similar to my own interests because these are the areas in which I can be of most help. I also encourage my students to develop their own projects, but I provide advice and feedback as needed.
1. Bollinger, E. K., B. D. Peer, and R. W. Jansen. 1997. Status
of Neotropical migrants in three forest fragments in Illinois. Wilson
Bulletin 109:521-526.
2. Peer, B. D., and E. K. Bollinger. 1997. Explanations for the infrequent
cowbird parasitism on Common Grackles. Condor 99:151-161.
3. Peer, B. D., and E. K. Bollinger. 1997. Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula).
In The Birds of North America, No. 271 (A. Poole and F. Gill,
eds.). Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and American Ornithologists’
Union, Washington, DC.
4. Peer, B. D., and E. K. Bollinger. 1998. Rejection of cowbird eggs by Mourning
Doves: A manifestation of nest usurpation? Auk 115:1057-1062.
5. Peer, B. D., and S. G. Sealy. 1999. Laying time of the Bronzed Cowbird.
Wilson Bulletin 111:137-139.
6. Peer, B. D., and S. G. Sealy. 1999. Parasitism and egg puncture behavior by
Bronzed and Brown-headed cowbirds in sympatry. Studies in Avian Biology
18:235-240.
7. Peer, B. D., and S. G. Sealy. 2000. Responses of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers
to experimental cowbird parasitism. Bird Behavior 13:63-68.
8. Peer, B. D., and S. G. Sealy. 2000. Conspecific brood parasitism and egg
rejection in Great-tailed Grackles. Journal of Avian Biology
31:271-277.
9. Peer, B. D., S. K. Robinson, and J. R. Herkert. 2000. Egg rejection by
cowbird hosts in grasslands. Auk 117:892-901.
10. Peer, B. D., and E. K. Bollinger. 2000. Why do female Brown-headed Cowbirds
remove host eggs? A test of the incubation efficiency hypothesis. Pp. 187-192 in
Ecology and management of cowbirds and their hosts (J.N.M. Smith,
T. Cook, S. I. Rothstein, S. K. Robinson, and S. G. Sealy, eds.). University of
Texas Press, Austin.
11. Homan, H. J., G. M. Linz, and B. D. Peer. 2001. Dogs increase recovery of
passerine carcasses in dense vegetation. Wildlife Society Bulletin
29:292-296.
12. Peer, B. D., and S. G. Sealy. 2001. Mechanism of egg recognition in the
Great-tailed Grackle. Bird Behavior 14:71-73.
13. Peer, B. D., H. J. Homan, and S. G. Sealy. 2001. Infrequent cowbird
parasitism on Common Grackles revisited: New records from the northern Great
Plains. Wilson Bulletin 113:90-93.
14. Johnson, K., and B. D. Peer. 2001. Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus
mexicanus). In The birds of North America, No. 576 (A. Poole
and F. Gill, eds.). Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and American
Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, DC.
15. Sealy, S. G., D. G. McMaster, and B. D. Peer. 2002. Tactics of obligate
brood parasites to secure suitable incubators. Pp. 254-269 in Avian
incubation: Behaviour, environment, and evolution (D.C. Deeming, ed.).
Oxford University Press, Oxford.
16. Linz, G. M., B. D. Peer, H. J. Homan, R. L. Wimberly, D. L. Bergman, and W.
J. Bleier. 2002. Has an integrated pest management approach reduced blackbird
damage to sunflowers? Pp. 132-137 in Human conflicts with wildlife:
Economic considerations (L. Clark, ed.). National Wildlife Research
Center, Ft. Collins, CO.
17. Peer, B. D., K. S. Ellison, and S. G. Sealy. 2002. Intermediate frequencies
of egg ejection by Northern Mockingbirds sympatric with two cowbird species.
Auk 119:855-858.
18. Peer, B. D., H. J. Homan, and G. M. Linz. 2003. Impact of blackbird damage
to sunflowers: Bioenergetic and economic models. Ecological Applications
13:248-256.
19. Peer, B. D., and S. G. Sealy. 2004. Correlates of egg rejection in hosts of
the Brown-headed Cowbird. Condor 106:580-599.
20. Peer, B. D., and S. G. Sealy. 2004. Fate of grackle defenses in the absence
of brood parasitism: Implications for long-term brood parasite-host coevolution.
Auk 121: 1172-1186.
21. Peer, B. D., S. I. Rothstein, and J. W. Rivers. 2005. First record of
Bronzed Cowbird parasitism on the Great-tailed Grackle. Wilson Bulletin
117:194-196.
22. Ortega, C. P., J. F. Chace, and B. D. Peer, editors. 2005. Management
of cowbirds and their hosts: Balancing science, ethics, and mandates.
Ornithological Monographs 57. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C.
23. Ortega, C. P., J. F. Chace, and B. D. Peer. 2005. Research directions and
cowbird management. Ornithological Monographs 57:1-5.22.
24. Peer, B. D., S. I. Rothstein, M. J. Kuehn, and R. C. Fleischer. 2005. Host
defenses against cowbird parasitism: Implications for cowbird management.
Ornithological Monographs 57:84-97. American Ornithologists’ Union,
Washington, D.C.
25. Rothstein, S. I., and B. D. Peer. 2005. Conservation solutions for
threatened and endangered cowbird hosts: Separating fact and fiction.
Ornithological Monographs 57:9-114. American Ornithologists’ Union,
Washington, D.C.
26. Peer, B. D. 2006. Egg removal and egg
destruction in avian brood parasites. Auk 123:16-22.
27. Peer, B. D., S. I. Rothstein, K. S. Delaney, and R. C. Fleischer. 2006. Defence behavior against brood parasitism is deeply rooted in mainland and island scrub- jays. In press in Animal Behaviour.
28. Peer, B. D. 2006. American Coot parasitism on Least Bitterns. In press in Wilson Journal of Ornithology.
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