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1. Towards a neurobiology of female aggression

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   Been, Laura E.; Gibbons, Alison B.; Meisel, Robert L. (September 2019, Neuropharmacology)
2. Evaluating seasonal patterns of female aggression: Case study in a cavity‐nesting bird with intense female–female competition

   https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12881  

   Bentz, Alexandra B.; Philippi, Kelsey J.; Rosvall, Kimberly A.; Koenig, ed., Walter D. (May 2019, Ethology)

   Abstract Seasonal plasticity in aggression is likely to be shaped by the contexts in which aggression is beneficial, as well as the constraints inherent in its underlying mechanisms. In males, seasonal plasticity in testosterone (T) secretion is thought to underlie seasonal plasticity in conspecific aggression, but it is less clear how and why female aggression may vary across different breeding stages. Here, we integrate functional and mechanistic perspectives to begin to explore seasonal patterns of conspecific aggression in female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), a songbird with intense female–female competition and T‐mediated aggression. Female tree swallows elevate T levels during early breeding stages, coinciding with competition for nest boxes, after which time T levels are roughly halved. However, females need to defend ownership of their nesting territory throughout the breeding season, suggesting it may be adaptive to maintain aggressive capabilities, despite low T levels. We performed simulated territorial intrusions using 3D‐printed decoys of female tree swallows to determine how their aggressive response to a simulated intrusion changes across the breeding season. First, we found that 3D‐printed decoys produce data comparable to stage‐matched studies using live decoys, providing researchers with a new, more economical method of decoy construction. Further, female aggressiveness remained relatively high through incubation, a period of time when T levels are quite low, suggesting that other mechanisms may regulate conspecific female aggression during parental periods. By showing that seasonal patterns of female aggression do not mirror the established patterns of T levels in this highly competitive bird, our findings provide a unique glimpse into how behavioural mechanisms and functions may interact across breeding stages to regulate plasticity. 

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3. Female ornamentation is associated with elevated aggression and testosterone in a tropical songbird

   https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/ary079  

   Enbody, Erik D; Boersma, Jordan; Schwabl, Hubert; Karubian, Jordan (June 2018, Behavioral Ecology)
4. The agonistic adrenal: melatonin elicits female aggression via regulation of adrenal androgens

   https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.2080  

   Rendon, Nikki M.; Rudolph, Lauren M.; Sengelaub, Dale R.; Demas, Gregory E. (November 2015, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences)
5. Brain transcriptomics of a social challenge and maternal aggression in incubating female tree swallows

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105692  

   Levy, Emily J; George, Elizabeth M; Rusch, Douglas B; Buechlein, Aaron; Rosvall, Kimberly A (February 2025, Hormones and Behavior)