Dr Camilla Hinde

Email: cah33 at cam.ac.uk

Camilla Hinde is now at the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Oxford University.

A brood of begging Great Tits

My research uses laboratory and field experiments to investigate the conflicts of interest within families. In particular I’m interested in the role of maternal effects in conflict resolution, and also how reproductive strategy differs between individuals.

Maternal effects in canaries
This project with Rebecca Kilner investigates the control that mothers have over the behaviour of their offspring through egg investment. Mothers can influence begging behaviour through, for example, differential testosterone investment in each egg throughout the clutch. We are carrying out experiments which look at the effect this has on chick begging behaviour and growth rates. In addition, we are considering whether the chicks can retaliate if what their mother prescribes is not optimal for them.

Reproductive strategies in great tits
Individual great tits may benefit from advertising their reproductive strategy via their plumage colouration. In particular, female plumage in the great tit has been relatively understudied, even though females stand to benefit from advertising their quality to potential mates. My work investigates the relationships between female plumage colouration and reproductive investment.

• Hinde, C.A., Johnstone, R.A., Kilner, R.M. 2010. Parent-offspring conflict and coadaptation. Science 327, 1373-1376.
• Kilner, R.M. & Hinde, C.A. 2008. Information warfare and parent-offspring conflict. Advances in the Study of Behavior 38: 283-336.
• Hinde, C. A. & Kilner, R.M. 2007. Negotiations within the family over the supply of parental care. Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B 274: 53-60.
• Hinde, C. A. 2006 Negotiation over offspring care? - a positive response to partner-provisioning rate in great tits. Behavioral Ecology 17, 6-12.
• Johnstone, R. A. & Hinde, C. A. 2006. Negotiation over offspring care- how should parents respond to each other's efforts? Behavioral Ecology 17: 818 - 827.
• Wright J, Hinde C, Fazey I & Both C. 2002 Begging signals more than just short-term need: cryptic effects of brood size in the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 52: 74-83