The role of behavior in recent avian extinctions and endangerments

Understanding patterns of differential extinction and predicting the relati ve risks of extinction among extant species are among the most important pr oblems in conservation biology. Although recent studies reveal that behavio r can be a critical component in many species' extinctions of endangerments , current approaches to the problem of predicting extinction patterns large ly ignore behavior. I reviewed how behavior can affect population persisten ce and then used recent avian extinctions and endangerments to illustrate b ehaviors relevant to extinction risk. Behaviors that affect population pers istence can be grouped as aggregation, interspecific responses, dispersal, habitat selection, intraspecific behavior, and maladaptive behavior. Behavi or that can affect extinction risk is not limited to birds; for example, in many taxonomic groups (vertebrate and invertebrate) there is evidence of s ocially facilitated reproduction in colonial species. Allee effects on repr oduction success and survival, behavioral regulation of population size, an d conspecific attraction to breeding sites. Incorporating specific behavior s into models predicting extinction probabilities and patterns should impro ve their predictions.