Julian Klein

In my master thesis I will investigate how the costs of reproduction become manifested in the quality of flight feathers of the Siberian Jay (Perisoreus infaustus). The extent to which this quality is able to forecast winter survival will be investigated. Apart from genetic differences, the possible variation in the scale of the paid costs is believed to be caused by the quality of the habitat in which the chicks are raised and the subsequent moulting of the feathers takes place. Flight feather and habitat quality will be assessed using a set of variables each. The study site is situated in the boreal forest of Fennoscandia near Arvidsjaur, Sweden.