Eberhard Gwinner¹ & Asha Chandola-Saklani²

Gwinner, E. & Chandola-Saklani, A. 1999. Reproduction in tropical birds. In: Adams, N.J. & Slotow, R.H. (eds) Proc. 22 Int. Ornithol. Congr., Durban: 1719. Johannesburg: BirdLife South Africa.

The control of seasonal breeding has been well investigated in temperate zone birds. Relatively little is known about the internal and external factors influencing avian reproduction in the tropics. In tropical regions the reproductive seasons are spread out over the year yet, almost all species examined so far exhibit clearly defined breeding seasons. Apparently they have evolved strategies using a variety of environmental cues to time their reproduction. However, our knowledge of the regulation of their breeding cycles has been rather limited until recently. The papers presented in our symposium address these problems in representative species from tropical regions in Australia, Asia, Africa and Central America. They indicate that there are great differences in the pattern of breeding as well as in the endogenous and exogenous factors involved in the timing of reproduction. Obviously, the mechanisms responsible for seasonal breeding in the tropics are highly diverse, reflecting the diversity of conditions that determine which months are optimal for breeding.