Avian clutch size of increasing clutch size with increasing latitude. The proximate and ultimate causes for this pattern have been a subject of intense debate involving the ideas of group and individual selection. David Lack observed a direct relationship between latitude and avian clutch size. Birds near the equator laid approximately half as many eggs as those that resided in northern temperate habitats. He observed an increasing clutch-size from the equator towards the poles (something he referred to as the “latitude trend”) for many passerine (perching) birds, near-passerine (tree-dwelling) birds and in various other groups: Strigiformes, Falconiformes, Ciconiiformes, Laridae, Ralliformes, Galliformes, Podicipedifomes, and
Fody Fody Fodies are small passerine birds belonging to the genus Foudia in the weaver family Ploceidae. They are native to the islands of the western Indian Ocean where they occur on Madagascar, the Seychelles, the Comoro Islands and the Mascarene Islands. The red fody has also been introduced to the Chagos Archipelago, Bahrain and Saint Helena. While the red fody is one of the most common birds of the region, several of the other fodies are considered to be threatened, particularly the Mauritius fody which is classed as endangered. The birds are long and have short, conical bills. Males in