Publications

2010 - Safran, R. Barn Swallows: Sexual and Social Behavior. In: Breed M.D. and Moore J., (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, volume 1, pp. 139-144. Oxford Academic Press. PDF

2010 - Dor, R., R.J. Safran, F.H. Sheldon, D.W. Winkler, and I.J. Lovette. Phylogeny of the genus Hirundo and the Barn Swallow subspecies complex. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 56: 409-418. PDF

2010 - Hubbard, J, Uy, J.A.C., Hauber, M.E. Hoekstra, H.E., and Safran, R.J. Vertebrate Pigmentation: From Genes to Adaptive Function. Trends in Genetics 26: 231-239. Featured with the cover photo PDF

2010 - Maguire, S.E. and R.J. Safran. Paternity, ornamentation and patterns of parental care in the North American barn swallow. Journal of Avian Biology 41: 74-82. PDF

2010 - Safran, R.J., M.N. Vitousek, M.E. Hauber, C.K. Ghalambor. 2010. Sexual selection: a dynamic state of affairs - Response to the comments of Cornwallis and Uller in the article: Towards and evolutionary ecology of sexual traits. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 25: 429-430. PDF

2010 - Safran, R.J., K.J. McGraw, K.M. Pilz, S.M. Correa. 2010. Egg-yolk androgen and carotenoid deposition as a function of maternal social environment in barn swallows Hirundo rustica. Journal of Avian Biology 41: 470-478. PDF

2010 - Safran, R.J., K.J. McGraw, M.R. Wilkins, J.K. Hubbard, and J. Marling. 2010. Positive antioxidant balance over the breeding season predicts reproductive performance in a wild bird. PLoS ONE 5(2) e9420. PDF

2009 - Tibbetts, E.A., and R.J. Safran*. Co-evolution of Badges of Status and Winter Sociality in New and Old World Sparrows. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22: 2376-2386. * Both authors contributed equally. Featured with the cover photo PDF

2008 - Safran and Vitousek. Evolutionary Biology: Arms races in the eye of the beholder. Current Biology 18(17): 734-736. PDF

2008 - Safran, Adelman, McGraw, and Hau. Sexual signal exaggeration affects physiological state in male barn swallows. Current Biology 18(11): 461-462. PDF

2008 - Safran, Pilz, McGraw, Correa, Schwabl. Are yolk androgens and carotenoids in barn swallow eggs related to parental quality? Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. PDF

2007 - Doerr, Doerr, and Safran. Integrating delayed dispersal into broader concepts of social group formation. Behavioral Processes 76: 114-117. PDF

2007 - Neuman, Safran, and Lovette. Male tale streamer length does not predict apparent or genetic reproductive success in North American barn swallows Hirundo rustica erythrogaster. Journal of Avian Biology 38: 28-36 PDF

2007 - Safran, Doerr, Sherman, Doerr, Flaxman, and Winkler. Group breeding in vertebrates: linking individual and population-level approaches. Evolutionary Ecology Research 9: 1163-1185. PDF

2007 - Safran and Hauber. Evolutionary biology: variation isn’t always sexy. Current Biology 17(10): 368-370. PDF

2007 - Safran. Settlement patterns of female barn swallows Hirundo rustica across different group sizes: access to colorful males or favored nests? Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 61: 1359-1368. PDF

2006 - Safran, Nest site selection in the barn swallow, Hirundo rustica: What predicts seasonal reproductive success? Canadian Journal of Zoology 84: 1533-1539. PDF

2006 - Hauber and Safran. Behavioural ecology: promiscuous fathers sire young that recognize true family. Current Biology 16(18): 797-800. PDF

2005 - McGraw, Safran, and Wakamatsu. How feather color reflects its melanin content. Functional Ecology 19: 816-821. PDF

2005 - Safran, Neuman, McGraw, and Lovette. Dynamic pattern allocation as a function of male plumage color in barn swallows. Science 309: 2210-2212 featured with the cover photo supplemental material.

2004 - McGraw, Wakamatsu, Ito, Nolan, Jouventin, Dobson, Austic, Safran, Siefferman, Hill, and Parker. You can’t judge a pigment by its color: carotenoid and melanin content of yellow and brown feathers in swallows, bluebirds, penguins, and domestic chickens. The Condor 106: 390-395. PDF

2004 - McGraw, Safran, Evans, and Wakamatsu. European barn swallows use melanin pigments to color their feathers brown. Behavioral Ecology 15(5); 889-891. PDF

2004 - Safran. Adaptive site selection rules and variation in group size of barn swallows: individual decisions predict population patterns. The American Naturalist 164(2): 121-131. PDF

2004 - Safran and McGraw. Plumage coloration, not length or symmetry of tail-streamers, is a sexually selected trait in North American barn swallows. Behavioral Ecology 15(3): 455-461. PDF

2002 - Taft, Colwell, Isola, and Safran. Waterbird responses to experimental drawdown: implications for the multispecies management of wetland mosaics. Journal of Applied Ecology 39: 987-1001. PDF

2002 - Safran. A review of bird nests and construction behavior. Auk 119: 892-894.

2000 - Isola, Colwell, Taft, and Safran. Interspecific differences in habitat use of shorebirds and waterfowl foraging in managed wetlands of California’s San Joaquin Valley. Waterbirds 23: 196-203. PDF

2000 - Safran, Colwell, Isola, and Taft. Foraging site selection by white-faced Ibis. The Condor 102: 211-215. PDF

1997 - Safran, Isola, Colwell, and Williams. Benthic invertrebrates at foraging locations of nine waterbird species in managed wetlands of the northern San Joaquin Valley, California. Wetlands 17: 407-415.

1996 - Shuford, Hickey, Safran, and Page. A review of the status of the White-faced Ibis in winter in California. Western Birds 27: 169-196.