In general, I am interested in the natural history, ecology and life histories of birds, with a particular interest in the factors that influence bird incubation behavior. It is known that predation, food availability and temperature influence the time spent by adult birds on the nest. However, most research has been focused on how predation alone influences incubation time, and it is unknown how predation and other environmental factors interact to affect incubation behavior. In addition, I am interested in the ways in which nest location, shape, and construction materials influence nest microclimate, which may affect incubation time and/or the number of trips to and from the nest. Rates of movement to and from the nest should in turn affect adult body condition and predation risk (on the eggs or nestlings as well as on the adult). Both body condition and predation risk should constrain the number of clutches in the current and future breeding seasons (i.e. reproductive effort) and adult long-term survival, which are two of the most important variables in life-history theory.