Temporal correlations among demographic parameters can strongly influence population dynamics. Our empirical knowledge, however, is very limited regarding the direction and the magnitude of these correlations and how they vary among demographic parameters and species’ life histories. Here, we use long‐term demographic data from 15 bird and mammal species with contrasting pace of life to quantify correlation patterns among five...

Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to adjust the timing of life‐history events in response to environmental and demographic conditions. Shifts by individuals in the timing of breeding with respect to variation in age and temperature are well documented in nature, and these changes are known to scale to affect population dynamics. However, relatively little is known about how organisms alter phenology in response to other d...

Knowledge of the density‐dependent processes that regulate animal populations is key to understanding, predicting, and conserving populations. In migratory birds, density‐dependence is most often studied during the breeding season, yet we still lack a robust understanding of the reproductive traits through which density influences individual reproductive success. We used 27‐yr of detailed, individual‐level productivity data fr...

Female birds often copulate outside the pair‐bond to produce broods of mixed paternity, but despite much recent attention the adaptive significance of this behaviour remains elusive. Although several studies support the idea that extra‐pair copulations (EPCs) allow females to obtain ‘good genes’ for their offspring, many others have found no relationship between female mating fidelity and traits likely to reflect male quality....