Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries

Book Description

This updated and expanded edition of the highly acclaimed book Democracies offers an even broader, more thorough analysis of today`s democracies. Encompassing thirty-six democracies around the world, the book compares cabinets, legislatures, parties, election systems, supreme courts, interest groups, and central banks to arrive at important-and unexpected-findings about what type of democracy works best.

Customer Reviews:

Between Fallacy and Irrelevance... .......2007-05-02

Arendt Lijphart's book Patterns of Democracy is an interesting book in that it says something strong with a weak support. The primary goal of Lijphart is to compare the consensus model of democracy with the majoritarian one, and by doing so prove the superiority of the former to the latter in terms of democratic ideals and government performance. Yet the arguments he puts forward lack both theoretical consistency and empirical support, not to mention their irrelevance as a policy-recommendation to most of the developing world, of which main problem is "to govern" rather than "how to govern". I think, as a student from a developing country, I have enough background and reason to oppose the arguments and findings (?) of Lijphart.

Lijphart does a nice job in bringing together the salient distinguishing characteristics of majoritarian and proportional democracies. He first divides these characteristics into two main groups as executive-parties dimension and federal-unitary dimension; then, he demonstrates that majoritarian and consensus democracies differ remarkably on each dimension. So far this section -which comprises the bulk of the book- is concerned, patterns of democracy is an invaluable resource for its breadth, clarity, and strength.

Yet the problems surface when Lijphart starts answering the "so what?" question. Above all, Lijphart is biased toward the ideal of democracy which maintains that every person must have a say in any decision that influences his/her life. Actually, no one has any problem with this ideal. But Lijphart's conclusion that because consensus democracies fare better in accomplishing this ideal they are superior to the majoritarian models of democracy is misleading and inconsistent with the premise of representational democracy. It is misleading simply because Lijphart criterion for judging between the two models of democracy is only one of the criteria that is to be used, it is neither the most important nor the determining one. Democratic governments are formed to "govern" and "represent". Yet Lijphart's arguments are predominantly based on the "representation" criterion. There is trade-off between efficient/durable governments and proportional/representational ones. As Powell (2000) shows in his Elections as Instruments of Democracy, and Lijphart acknowledges this fact, majoritarian governments fare better in terms of efficiency and durability, hence "governability". Lijphart's own research reveals that majoritarian governments perform better in terms of economic growth (p. 266); and all his "bivariate" findings supporting the purported positive relationship between consensus democracy and economic performance evaporates when he includes control variable. It is inconsistent, because taken to the extreme, to satisfy the proportional representation criterion, every single party in every single district should send at least one candidate to the parliament, which would increase the size of the parliaments to tens, if not hundreds, of thousands. The mere "size of the body elected", which is in general less than a thousand because of the idea of representation, forces us to satisfy only the preferences of some voters. So, why blame a principle that we stick at lower level, and we believe that it works well at that level, when it comes to upper level? If we are only concerned about the democratic ideal, why do we not apply "direct democracy" then?

The salient superiority of majoritarian democracy (and the characteristics that are associated with it) over proportional democracy is that it gives way to strong, durable, and efficient government. True, efficiency and strength might translate into negative outcomes as well (such as the repression of minorities or the abolishing of some rights). But the appropriate to overcome this possible problem is not to get rid of majoritarian system (and the advantages it brings forward); rather, we should devise ways in which we can incorporate the elements of "direct" and "proportional" governments into our majoritarian democracies. Increasing decentralization and constitutional rigidity and introducing new instruments such as initiative and referendum have the potential to increase the performance of majoritarian governments with regard to achieving the democratic ideal without losing their existing advantages. To me, therefore, Lijphart is searching after a wrong question, which deals with "whether" consensus or majoritarian democracy. We are more likely to be better-off if we work to find synthetic ways of bringing together the differing characteristics of majoritarian and consensus governments. Thus, so far as the relationship between consensus and majoritarian democracies is concerned, the question is "how much", not whether.

Testing Institutional Performance.......2005-11-19

Lijphart seeks to test which type of democratic institutions - consensus or majoritarian - performs most effectively. He tests the performance of these institutions through a statistical analysis of their relative efficiency in three broad fields: macroeconomic management, control of violence, and what he terms the "kinder and gentler" qualities of democracy (293). However, before discussing the results of Lijphart's study, it is necessary to explore what distinguishes the institutions of majoritarian and consensus systems.
Lijphart distinguishes between these two types of democracy by illustrating ten institutional differences which divide the typologies. For clarity, the author divides these ten differences into two distinct dimensions: executives-parties, and federal-unitary. The executives-parties dimension addresses "the arrangement of executive power, the party and electoral systems, and interest groups" (3). The federal-unitary dimension illustrates differences in institutional structure of a federated versus unitary government.
According to the executives-parties dimension, the majoritarian system, or Westminster model, is found to have a two party system and a strong one-party executive and cabinet. Often the executive is more powerful than his or her legislative counterparts. Furthermore, a majoritarian system often uses a single member district electoral system which can lead to disproportional representation, and has a highly competitive pluralist interest group system. Lijphart cites Britain and pre-1996 New Zealand as majoritarian systems.
Lijphart's consensus democracy varies institutionally from the Westminster model. First, under the majoritarian model, the executive office is often composed of a multi-party power-sharing cabinet or coalition. In addition, power-sharing exists between the executive branch and the legislature the electoral system often promotes proportional representation. Lastly, unlike the highly competitive special interest group system of the Westminster model, a consensus democracy promotes a system of interest group compromise (4). Lijphart uses Switzerland and Germany as examples of consensus democracy.
According to the federated-unitary dimension, the Westminster system has a strong, centralized government and a unicameral legislature. In addition, most majoritarian systems possess a very flexible constitution that can readily be amended or changed. Furthermore, in many majoritarian systems, the legislature holds the final word in the constitutionality of legislation, and as such, majoritarian systems do not have a strong system of judicial review.
The consensus model, on the other hand, often has a decentralized government, and can be a federated system. Often the legislature is divided into two houses. In addition, the constitution is often rigid, making change difficult. Lastly, the consensus system often has a strong institution of judicial review to monitor the legality of legislation.
To test the effectiveness of consensus and majoritarian systems, Lijphart compares the performance of the two democracies on three main categories: macroeconomic management, levels of political violence, and the "kinder, gentler" aspects of democracy. Lijphart's hypothesis "is that consensus democracy produces better results - but without the expectation that the differences will be very strong and significant" (261).
When exploring the effectiveness of the two democracies in macroeconomic management, the author operationalizes a number of variables. For the sake of brevity, I will condense the findings into six categories: economic growth, inflation rates, unemployment, strike activity, budget deficits, and freedom index. Lijphart tests the performance of the democracies by using both the executives-parties dimension and federated-unitary dimensions.
In the case of economic growth using the executives-parties dimension, there was little difference between majoritarian and consensus democracy. There was a weak negative relationship between consensus democracy and economic but the findings were not statistically significant. This implies that the difference between consensus and majoritarian democracies in regards to economic development is negligible. In regards to inflation, Lijphart finds that consensus democracies have a slightly lower rate of inflation than majoritarian systems. Consensus also performs slightly better than the majoritarian model in regards to unemployment, but again, the differences are slight.
Interestingly, Lijphart found a massive relationship between strike activity and consensus democracy. According to the regression coefficient, levels of strike activity would have been substantially lower in consensus systems than in majoritarian. However, upon further analysis the relationships are not statistically significant and as Lijphart illustrates, the large difference is a result of "big exceptions to the tendency of consensus countries to be less strike-prone than majoritarian democracies" (269). Lastly, Lijphart explores the performance of consensus democracies on budget deficits and economic freedom. Again, the author finds the differences negligible. When using the federated-unitary dimension, Lijphart's finding are similar except when looking at the inflation variable. When comparing consensus democracy on federal-unitary dimension on inflation, Lijphart discovers that a strong negative relationship exists, the relationship is statistically significant, and there is an acceptable t-value. The author explains this relationship by citing that in a consensus democracy the central bank independence. Lijphart writes, "the most important reason why central banks are made strong and independent is to give them the tools to control inflation" (273).
In conclusion, the author writes, "the evidence with regard to economic growth and economic freedom is mixed, but with regard to all of the other indicators of economic performance, the consensus democracies have a slightly better record and a significantly better record as far as inflation is concerned" (270).
The results regarding the performance of consensus and majoritarian democracies in controlling political violence are also rather vague. Statistically, the consensus system is slightly violent than the majoritarian system. However, Lijphart contends that the significance of the relationship declines when other variables are controlled and outlying observations are removed. Ultimately, Lijphart contends that the statistics show "at least a slightly better performance of the consensus democracies" (271).
The last group of variables that Lijphart addresses is what he terms the "kinder, gentler" aspects of democracy. The author contends that consensus systems are more apt to be "kinder and gentler" than their majoritarian counterparts. Lijphart writes, "Consensus democracies demonstrate these kinder and gentler qualities in the following ways: they are more likely to be welfare states; they have a better record with regard to the protection of the environment; they put fewer people in prison, and are less likely use the death penalty; and the consensus democracies in the developed world are more generous with their economic assistance to the developing nations" (275-6).
Lijphart measures the effectiveness of consensus intuitions by measuring a number of variables: women's representation, political equality, electoral participation, satisfaction with democracy, government-voter proximity, and accountability and corruption. Statistically, Lijphart's findings when comparing the performance of consensus and majoritarian democracies in regards to the "kinder and gentler" qualities are much more revealing. Lijphart finds that consensus democracy "makes a big difference with regard to almost all of the indicators of democratic quality and with regard to all of the kinder and gentler qualities" (300).
To conclude, Lijphart has found that the institutions of consensus democracies perform slightly better than majoritarian institutions in both macroeconomic management and in the prevention of political violence. However, the differences are slim and arguably irrelevant. But, Lijphart did discover that when looking at the "kinder, gentler" aspects of democracy, such as women's rights, incarceration rates and other, consensus democracy performed substantially better.

Not nearly what the original was.......2004-01-30

Unfortunately not everything gets better with time. The original 1984 version of this book was stellar. An excellent introduction to comparative politics. Easily accessible to undergraduates and a useful reference for early graduates. Unfortunately the new book adds nothing to the original insights and uses surprisingly poor statistical methodology to force points when the data are simply not supportive. At times the author even admits to "arbitrarily selecting thresholds." As a result of the alarmingly poor methodology employed I can no longer use this text as a key componant of my undergraduate comparative politics courses. For graduates I would use it only as an example of what not to do.

Past his prime.......2002-09-06

Lijphart was indeed on the the most influential political scientists of his generation.

This book, however, is pure advocacy and a simple rehashing of previous work.

The quantitative analysis in this book is APPALLINGLY bad. I has become an exemplar in our department of misleading and inept use of basic statistics.

If you want to read something outstanding by Lijphart find one of his books on consociationalism.

Essential Reading for Comparative Political Studies.......2002-03-03

This revision of Lijphart's Classic 'Democracies' is a first-rate survey of 36 democracies, which focuses on the relationships between a number of political variables. One of the most striking features of the book is the manner in which Lijphart divides the book into 10 areas of inquiry (e.g. electoral systems, party formations, executive power, etc.), devoting one chapter per area. He reviews the theory regarding the area of interest, while also attempting to use applied examples from the 36 countries to illustrate that theory. He then tries to construct rough numerical indices to outline more formally the degree and extent to which qualitative differences exist. This helps in conceptualizing how (dis)similar two countries are with respect to one another.

The other outstanding aspect of the book is that by the end, the reader is broadly familiar with the structure of all 36 democracies. You walk away understanding how diverse the party formations of federal Germany are, or how UK Commonwealths tend to mirror their colonial power in terms of parliamentary power, centralisation of power, and so forth.

Because of its lucid and and pragmatic structure, as well as its strong comparative approach, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about what features differentiate democracies and why France is or is not similar to Japan or Paupa New Guinea--an excellent study by a classic thinker!

Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries
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Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries
Arend Lijphart
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSFZLC

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A great book for nest & egg I.D.

Caveat emptor- a fine book in a new cover

A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, Second Editio

A Good Reference Book, NOT a Field Guide.

Superb reference

A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds (Princeton Field Guides)
Paul J. Baicich , and J. O. Harrison
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Peterson Field Guide: Eastern Birds' Nests

Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds' Nests (Peterson Field Guides (R) Series)

Bird Tracks & Sign : A Guide to North American Species

Birds, Nests, & Eggs (Take-Along Guides)

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Handbook of Bird Biology

ASIN: 0691122954

Book Description

A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, Second Edition provides a thorough, species-by-species guide to the breeding biology of the birds of North America. Some 670 breeding species are described in full, covering the birds of a vast area, from the Arctic to the southern boundary of the continental United States. The main text presents complete basic information on the breeding cycle of each species, summarized in a natural sequence: nest habitat, nest-site, nest construction, breeding season, eggs, incubation and nesting and nestling period. More than 700 color and line illustrations provide valuable information on the identification of the nests, eggs, and nestlings of 597 species. The book covers perhaps the most fascinating aspects of North American bird life, their reproduction and the care of their young, essential elements in the survival of any species. The book summarizes all that is known of this crucial part of a bird's life cycle, and by omission, points to what is yet unknown and may yet be discovered by the scientific ornithologist and birder alike. If your fascination in the nests, eggs, and nestlings of North American birds centers on identifying them in the field, you will find this book essential. If conservation is also a concern, you will appreciate the value of understanding the breeding requirements and biology of even the most common of species. This book will prove invaluable whatever your interest in North American birds.

Key Features:

Describes nests, eggs, and nestlings and gives basic biological information on nesting and breeding biology
Includes up-to-date coverage of all breeding species found in North America, including Alaska and Canada in one comprehensive volume
Contains more than 700 color and line illustrations of nests, eggs, and nestlings

Species List by Family:

Loons: Gaviidae. Grebes: Podicipedidae. Shearwaters: Procellariidae. Storm-Petrels: Hydrobatidae. Boobies and Gannets: Sulidae. Pelicans: Pelecanidae. Cormorants: Phalacrocoracidae. Darters: Anhingidae. Frigatebirds: Fregatidae. Bitterns and Herons: Ardeidae. Ibises and Spoonbills: Threskiomithidae. Storks: Ciconiidae. Swans, Geese, and Ducks: Anatidae. American Vultures: Catharidae. Kites, Hawks, Eagles and Allies: Accipitridae. Caracaras and Falcons: Falconidae. Guans: Cracidae. Partridges, Grouse, Turkey, and Quail: Phasianidae. Rails, Gallinules, and Coots: Rallidae. Limpkins: Aramidae. Cranes: Gruidae. Plovers: Charadriidae. Oystercatchers: Haematopodidae. Stilts and Avocets: Recurvirostridae. Jacanas: Jacanidae. Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies: Scolopacidae. Jaegers, Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers: Laridae. Auks, Murres, and Puffins: Alcidae. Pigeons and Doves: Columbidae. Parakeets and Parrots: Psittacidae. Cuckoos, Roadrunner, and Anis: Cuculidae. Barn Owls: Tytonidae. Typical Owls: Strigidae. Goatsuckers: Caprimulgidae. Swifts: Apodidae. Hummingbirds: Trochilidae. Trogons: Trogonidae. Kingfishers: Alcedinidae. Woodpeckers: Picidae. Tyrant Flycatchers: Tyrannidae. Larks: Alaudidae. Swallows: Hirundinidae. Jays, Magpies, and Crows: Corvidae. Titmica: Paridae. Verdin: Remizidae. Bushtits: Aegithalidae. Nutcatchers: Sittidae. Creepers: Certhiidae. Bulbuls: Pycnonotidae. Wrens: Troglodytidae. Dippers: Cinclidae. Old World Warblers, Gnatcatchers, Old World Flycatchers, Thrushes and Wrentit: Uscicapidae. Mockingbirds and Thrashers: Mimidae. Wagtails and Pipits: Motacillidae. Waxwings Bombycillidae. Silky-Flycatchers: Ptilogonatidae. Shrikes: Laniidae. Starlings: Stumidae. Vireos: Vireonidae. Wood-Warblers, Tanagers, Cardinals, Grosbreaks, Sparrows, Buntins, Blackbirds, and Allies: Emberizidae. Fringinlline and Carueline Finches and Allies: Fringillidae. Old World Sparrows: Passeridae.

Customer Reviews:

A great book for nest & egg I.D........2007-01-11

I find it hard to believe that anyone else out there could be as interested in nests and eggs as me, but if you are, this book is a wealth of information that must have taken quite a lot of research to compile.

I work as a biologist and sometimes do breeding bird surveys, and this book is my first stop for info on what a nest looks like, what an egg looks like, or the breeding biology and nesting behavior of certain birds.

I haven't yet tried to ID a nest by shape, size, and construction alone, and I'm a little leery of the idea that an inexperienced person could properly ID a nest without seeing the bird. I don't know if this book could really help you with that.

Caveat emptor- a fine book in a new cover.......2005-08-04

For anyone who owns the second edition with the tern and chick on the white cover, this is just a re-covering of that book. Same good, useful, unchanged reference content, different cover.

A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, Second Editio.......2005-07-08

I was hoping for something that offer a greater selection of birds. Very limited on varities, species.

A Good Reference Book, NOT a Field Guide........2002-02-17

First of all, let me stress to potential buyers that this book is NOT a field guide. It is however a rather thourough reference book. The authors describe what kind of habitat the birds breed in, what the nests look like, the eggs, incubation, the nestlings, and nestling period. They also tell when the breeding season is. There are very, very few drawings of nests. There are sixteen pages of color plates showing paintings of nestlings. And another forty-seven pages of color plates showing photos of eggs. The smaller eggs are shown actual size, but the larger eggs are shown 3/4's or 9/10's of actual size. Why not go ahead and make them actual size even if it means adding a few more pages? I think this book is a good companion to the Peterson guides to bird nests (where you will see actual bird nests with eggs.) It would be great if David Allen Sibley would write or at least illustrate the ultimate guide to bird nests.

Superb reference.......2000-05-31

"A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds" by Baicich and Harrison is a sorely needed reference to a subject familiar and interesting to both casual birdwatchers and serious ornithologists. Up to now, the standard reference was Hal Harrison's "Birds' Nests" (one for the eastern U.S., another for the west), Peterson Field Guides published in 1975. As the title indicates, these books feature photographs of nests (one picture per species), most with eggs. Many nests (and eggs) look alike, and these books are not especially helpful in identifying nests or their contents. While the Peterson Guide to eastern nests, for example, covered only 285 species, the Baicich and Harrison book covers 669 species nesting in North America.

Baicich and Harrison have created a book that is both practical and beautiful. The first 16 color plates portray dozens of nestling birds -- even the most un-anthropomorphic of us will find many of them cute! A number of the plates show the distinctive "gapes" or open mouths of the nestlings. The rest of the nearly 50 plates are eggs, carefully rendered to show subtle characteristics in color and pattern and displayed to show relative size. For some species, more than one egg is shown to demonstrate variety. These plates are so well done that the varying degrees of gloss are captured, an extremely useful detail. Opposite each plate is a short description of the eggs of the family, a key to the species, and the page number of the text.

The text section contains additional black-and-white sketches of nestlings and nests of many species. Text is concise but thorough, covering breeding habitat, a description of the nest including materials and placement, dates of the breeding season, a description of the eggs including measurements, details on the incubation and nestling periods, and a description of the nestling.

The introductory material is worthwhile as well. A short section on the legal and ethical considerations of studying nesting birds is wisely included. Discussions on each of the items included in the text are presented. These go beyond a simple definition and into some detail. For instance, the paragraphs on eggshell color tell us that newly laid eggs can briefly have a pinkish hue; the types of pigments that color eggshells; that while there might be variation within the species, each female usually lays consistently-colored eggs; and what causes abnormally colored eggs. The mechanics of hatching and the types of nestlings and their anatomy are also covered. Next, there is fine text on responsible nest-finding techniques and an overview of nest monitoring and recording schemes. Finally, there are three keys: Nests, Eggs, and Young nestlings and chicks.

As a professional ornithologist, I rarely cracked open my Peterson Guide to nests. However, I often browse "A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds," even when I am not in need of an immediate reference. This is a book with a place on any bird lover's shelf.

A field guide to the nests, eggs, and nestlings of North American birds
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A field guide to the nests, eggs, and nestlings of North American birds
Colin James Oliver Harrison
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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C. Harrison
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Description of nests, eggs, and nestlings of the endangered Nightingale Reed-Warbler on Saipan, Micronesia.: An article from: Wilson Bulletin
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Description of nests, eggs, and nestlings of the endangered Nightingale Reed-Warbler on Saipan, Micronesia.: An article from: Wilson Bulletin
Stephen M. Mosher , and Steven G. Fancy
Manufacturer: Wilson Ornithological Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B0008FMZ82
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on March 1, 2002. The length of the article is 5100 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: We describe the first verified nests, eggs, and nestlings of the Nightingale Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus luscinia), an endangered species endemic to the Mariana Islands, Micronesia. Nest composition, nest dimensions, and eggs were studied on the island of Saipan. Nests were located within three habitat types: upland introduced tangantangan (Leucaena leucocephala) forest, a native mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza) wetland, and a native reed (Phragmites karka) wetland. Nesting substrates included five native and two introduced tree species and one native reed species. Nests were composed primarily of dry vine stems, needle-like branchlets of ironwood (Casuarina equisetifolia), and tangantangan petioles. Nests were compact to bulky in construction and were secured to a forked arrangement of branches or stems. The background color of eggs ranged from white to cream to ivory-buff. Eggs were spotted, speckled, and blotched with gray, brown, black, and rust colored markings. Clutch size was 2-4, with a mode of two. Hatchlings were altricial with closed eyelids and devoid of natal down with dark gray to black skin. Nestlings examined prior to fledging resembled the adult plumage, except for the lack of the yellow supercilium found in adults. The nests and eggs have some characteristics similar to those of other Acrocephaline warblers found throughout Micronesia and Polynesia.

Citation Details
Title: Description of nests, eggs, and nestlings of the endangered Nightingale Reed-Warbler on Saipan, Micronesia.
Author: Stephen M. Mosher
Publication: Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2002
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 114 Issue: 1 Page: 1(10)

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First description of the nest of the Wing-banded Wren in French Guiana.: An article from: Wilson Bulletin

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First description of the nest of the Wing-banded Wren in French Guiana.: An article from: Wilson Bulletin
Mathilde Jullien , and Daniel P. Cariveau
Manufacturer: Wilson Ornithological Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on December 1, 2001. The length of the article is 3249 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: We describe for the first time the nests of the Wing-banded Wren (Microcerculus bambla), a little-known species of Trogoldytidae from northcentral South America. Two nests were discovered in French Guiana during the rainy season of 1999. Both nests were in abandoned termite mounds attached to the undersides of fallen trees. Chambers of the two nests were lined with a mat of dead leaf fragments. Each nest contained a single, well-feathered nestling that disappeared, possibly due to fledging, within a few days of nest discovery. Although we did not observe nest building, we suspect that other termitaria-nesting birds at our study site, such as Puffbirds (Bucconidae) or Jacamars (Galbulidae) excavated the chambers. Thus, both Microcerculus species with described nests, the Nightingale Wren (M. marginatus) and the Wing-banded Wren, apparently are secondary cavity nesters.

Citation Details
Title: First description of the nest of the Wing-banded Wren in French Guiana.
Author: Mathilde Jullien
Publication: Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2001
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 113 Issue: 4 Page: 398(6)

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The first nest records of the Sooty Antbird (Myrmeciza fortis) with notes on eggs and nestling development.: An article from: Wilson Bulletin

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The first nest records of the Sooty Antbird (Myrmeciza fortis) with notes on eggs and nestling development.: An article from: Wilson Bulletin
Fiona A. Walkinson , and Una R. Smith
Manufacturer: Wilson Ornithological Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on June 1, 1997. The length of the article is 2164 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The first study on the nests, eggs, and nestlings of the Sooty Antbird (Myrmeciza fortis) was conducted. Findings reveal that male and female Antbird alternately incubate its eggs; such practise also common among Thamnophilidae. Variations in the structure and placement of Antbird nests were observed. These differences evident to Myrmeciza species contribute to the heterogeniety of the genus that are existing. Further study on the nests of other species to understand the systematics and evolutionary history of the genus and Thamnophilidae was recommended.

Citation Details
Title: The first nest records of the Sooty Antbird (Myrmeciza fortis) with notes on eggs and nestling development.
Author: Fiona A. Walkinson
Publication: Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 1997
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: v109 Issue: n2 Page: p319(6)

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A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2d ed.(Review) : An article from: Wilson Bulletin

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A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2d ed.(Review) : An article from: Wilson Bulletin
Sara R. Morris
Manufacturer: Wilson Ornithological Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on June 1, 1999. The length of the article is 577 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2d ed.(Review)
Author: Sara R. Morris
Publication: Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 1999
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 111 Issue: 2 Page: 295(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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The nest, eggs, and nestlings of the Castelnau's Antshrike (Thamnophilus cryptoleucus), with notes on its ecology and conservation.: An article from: Wilson Bulletin

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The nest, eggs, and nestlings of the Castelnau's Antshrike (Thamnophilus cryptoleucus), with notes on its ecology and conservation.: An article from: Wilson Bulletin
J.W., Jr. Armacost
Manufacturer: Wilson Ornithological Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on September 1, 2004. The length of the article is 2815 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: I present the first description of the nest. eggs, and nestlings of the Castelnau's Antshrike (Thamnophilus cryptoleucus). During June and July of 2003, I observed three nests of T. cryptoleucus in riverine habitats along the Rio Amazonas, downstream from Iquitos, Departamento Loreto, Peru. The nests were deep, thin-walled cups suspended from the surrounding vegetation 1-3 m above the ground. The clutch size was two, and the eggs were cream-colored with reddish-brown markings. I found two nests on islands in the Rio Amazonas and one nest on the mainland, providing evidence that T. cryptoleucus is not exclusively restricted to river islands. Two nests were in river-edge forest dominated by Cecropia, and one was in second-growth scrub next to a banana plantation, suggesting some tolerance of anthropogenic disturbance. All three nests were active during the period when the annual floodwaters were receding. Nest placement, structure of the nest, clutch size, and appearance of the eggs were all similar to those of the closely related Blackish-gray Antshrike (Thamnophilus nigrocinereus) and are typical of the genus. Received 24 March 2004. accepted 29 July 2004.

Citation Details
Title: The nest, eggs, and nestlings of the Castelnau's Antshrike (Thamnophilus cryptoleucus), with notes on its ecology and conservation.
Author: J.W., Jr. Armacost
Publication: Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2004
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 116 Issue: 3 Page: 262(5)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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