The Social Prisoner: causes of natural variation in reproductive success of the oystercatcher

Very good used paperback. This doctoral thesis analyzes how the social structure of Eurasian Oystercatchers, characterized by territoriality, long-term bonds, and intense competition for high-quality sites, causes significant natural variation in reproductive success. The author suggests that, like prisoners, individuals are constrained by their social status, with low-status birds forced into lower quality territories where they must raise young far from feeding grounds.