Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor): a new model organism?

THE TREE SWALLOW (Tachycineta bicolor) has been the focus of a diversity of research that is rivaled by few other bird species. A quick search through the Science Citation Index reveals over 400 manuscripts either focusing on or involving Tree Swallows in the last 25 years, on topics ranging from mating systems to nest-building behavior, from climate change to environmental contamination. Here, I focus on two themes: (1) the Tree Swallow as a “new” model organism, and (2) Tree Swallow research findings that have important implications for all avian biology and, indeed, biology in general.