I plan to gather a large number of sperm samples from birds to study effects of mating systems and other ecological factors on the evolution of sperm shape. The icterids (meadowlarks, grackles, orioles, cowbirds, blackbirds, bobolinks, etc.) form an ideal group of birds for this study because mating systems vary considerably even between closely related species, indicating different selection pressures in different species.
I am now looking for bird banders or researchers who are handling birds during this breeding season and are willing to collect samples from different icterid species. During the breeding season male birds produce sperm almost continuously and some of these sperm pass into the birdsÂ’ cloaca and are excreted with the feces. Collecting these feces is an easy and harmless technique for obtaining sperm from wild and captive birds. If you are interested, please contact Stefan Luepold ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) for more details on the project and instructions for the collection of fecal samples. I will be happy to provide the material needed to collect and preserve the samples.
