Natural History Wanderings

In some bird species older siblings sometimes help parents raise younger siblings. Plos One reported on a study of Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis) that demonstrated that having other birds helping during nesting periods increased survival both in the first year of life and later in life.  To learn more read: PLoS ONE: Helpers at the Nest Improve Late-Life Offspring Performance: Evidence from a Long-Term Study and a Cross-Foster Experiment.