Dr. Bond's primary research focus has been on animal cognition, especially selective attention, cognitive representation, and behavioral flexibility. He has have had a long-running research program on how visual predators drive the evolution of color patterns in prey organisms. At the Center, this issue was explored in a series of experiments using virtual prey populations attacked by live blue jays. To investigate mechanisms of social cognition, he conducted comparative experiments on jay species that exhibit contrasting levels of social complexity, examining how they deal with serial reversal and transitive inference. He has done extensive field research on the comparative ethology of parrots, particularly keas, kakas, and kakapos in New Zealand, focusing on the evolution of behavioral flexibility. Although he maintains an active research program, he officially retired from the University of Nebraska in 2015, and he is no longer supervising graduate students.

Researchgate

Publications list:

Bond, A.B., & Diamond, J. (2019). Thinking Like a Parrot: Perspectives from the Wild. Chicago, IL: U. of Chicago Press. Link to Book

Bond, A.B. (2018). Searching images and the meaning of alarm calls. Learning & Behavior https://doi.org/10.3758/s13420-018-0350-1. PDF

Bond, A.B. (2017). Bird Brain: An Exploration of Avian Intelligence (book review). The Auk 134: 477-478. PDF

Nachev, V., Stich, K.P., Winter, C., Bond, A., Kamil, A., & Winter, Y. (2017). Cognition-mediated evolution of low-quality floral nectars. Science 355: 75-78. PDF

Goto, K., Bond, A.B., Burks, M. & Kamil, A.C. (2014). Visual search and attention in blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata): Associative cuing and repetition priming. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition 40: 185–194. PDF

Diamond, J., & Bond, A.B. (2014). The visual trickery of obscured animals. American Scientist 102: 52-59. Online Access

Wei, C.A., Kamil, A.C. & Bond, A.B. (2014) Direct and relational representation during transitive list linking in pinyon jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus). Journal of Comparative Psychology 128: 1-10. PDF

Diamond, J. & Bond, A.B. (2013). Concealing Coloration in Animals. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Link to Book

Bond, A.B., Wei, C.A. & Kamil, A.C. (2010). Cognitive representation in transitive inference: A comparison of four corvid species. Behavioural Processes 85: 283-292. PDF

Bond, A.B., Kamil, A.C. & Balda, R.P. (2007) Serial reversal learning and the evolution of behavioral flexibility in three species of North American corvids (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus, Nucifraga columbiana, Aphelocoma californica). Journal of Comparative Psychology 121: 372-379. PDF

Bond, A.B. (2007) The evolution of color polymorphism: Crypticity, searching images, and apostatic selection. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 38: 489-514. PDF

Diamond, J., Eason, D., Reid, C. & Bond, A.B. (2006) Social play in kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) with comparisons to kea (Nestor notabilis) and kaka (Nestor meridionalis). Behaviour 143: 1397-1423. PDF

Kamil, A.C. & Bond, A.B. (2006) Selective attention, priming, and foraging behavior. In: T.R. Zentall & E. Wasserman (Eds.), Comparative Cognition: Experimental Explorations Of Animal Intelligence (pp. 106-126). Oxford: Oxford U. Press. PDF

Bond, A.B. & Kamil, A.C. (2006) Spatial heterogeneity, predator cognition, and the evolution of color polymorphism in virtual prey. PNAS 103: 3214-3219. PDF

Bond, A.B. & Diamond, J. (2005) Geographic and ontogenetic variation in the contact calls of the kea (Nestor notabilis). Behaviour 142: 1-20. PDF

Yu, G., Soh, L. & Bond, A.B. (2005) K-means clustering with multiresolution peak detection. IEEE International Conference on Electro Information Technology, Lincoln, NE, USA, 22-25 May 2005. PDF

Paz-y-Miño C, G., A.B. Bond, A.C. Kamil & R.P. Balda. (2004) Pinyon jays use transitive inference to predict social dominance. Nature 430: 778-781. PDF

Diamond, J. & Bond, A.B. (2004) Social play in kaka (Nestor meridionalis) with comparisons to kea (Nestor notabilis). Behaviour 141: 777-799. PDF

Diamond, J. & Bond, A.B. (2003) A comparative analysis of social play in birds. Behaviour 140: 1091-1115. PDF

Bond, A.B., Kamil, A.C. & Balda, R.P. (2002) Social complexity and transitive inference in corvids. Animal Behaviour 65: 479-487. PDF

Kamil, A.C. & Bond, A.B. (2002) Cognition as an independent variable: Virtual ecology. In: M. Bekoff, C. Allen & G. Burghardt (Eds.), The Cognitive Animal (pp. 143-149). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. PDF

Bond, A.B. & Kamil, A.C. (2002) Visual predators select for crypticity and polymorphism in virtual prey. Nature 415: 609-614. PDF

Kamil, A.C. & Bond, A.B. (2001) The evolution of virtual ecology. In: L.A. Dugatkin (Ed.), Model Systems in Behavioral Ecology (pp. 288-310). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. PDF

Bond, A.B. & Kamil, A.C. (1999) Searching image in blue jays: Facilitation and interference in sequential priming. Animal Learning & Behavior 27: 461-471. PDF

Diamond, J. & Bond, A.B. (1999) Kea, Bird of Paradox: The Evolution and Behavior of a New Zealand Parrot. Berkeley, CA: U. of California Press. Link to Book

Bond, A.B., Stephens, J.S. Jr., Pondella, D.J., Allen, M.J. & Helvey, M. (1999) A method for estimating marine habitat values based on fish guilds, with comparisons between sites in the Southern California Bight. Bulletin of Marine Science 64: 219-242. PDF

Bond, A.B. & Kamil, A.C.(1998) Apostatic selection by blue jays produces balanced polymorphism in virtual prey. Nature 395: 594-596. PDF

Diamond, J., Bond, A., Schenker, B., Meier, D. & Twersky, D. (1995) Collaborative multimedia. Curator 38: 136-149. PDF

Langley, C., Riley, D.A., Bond, A.B. & Goel, N. (1995) Visual search for natural grains in pigeons: Search images and selective attention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 22: 139-151. PDF

Bond, A.B. (1992) Aggressive motivation in the Midas cichlid: Evidence for behavioral efference. Behaviour 122: 135-152. PDF

Bond, A.B. & Diamond, J. (1992) Population estimates of kea in Arthur's Pass National Park. Notornis 39: 151-160. PDF

Diamond, J. & Bond, A.B. (1991) Social behavior and the ontogeny of foraging in the kea (Nestor notabilis). Ethology 88: 128-144. PDF

Bond, A.B. & Riley, D.A. (1991) Searching image in the pigeon: A test of three hypothetical mechanisms. Ethology 87: 203-224. PDF

Bond, A.B., Wilson, K.J. & Diamond, J. (1991) Sexual dimorphism in the kea (Nestor notabilis). Emu 91: 12-19. PDF

Diamond, J., Bond, A.B. & Hirumi, A. (1989) Desert Explorations - A videodisc exhibit designed for flexibility. Curator 32: 161-173. PDF

Diamond, J. & Bond, A.B. (1989) Lasting responsiveness of a kea (Nestor notabilis) toward its mirror image. Avicultural Magazine 89: 92-94. PDF

Bond, A.B. (1989) Toward a resolution of the paradox of aggressive displays: II. Behavioral efference and the communication of intentions. Ethology 81: 235-249. PDF

Bond, A.B. (1989) Toward a resolution of the paradox of aggressive displays: I. Optimal deceit in the communication of fighting ability. Ethology 81: 29-46. PDF

Bond, A.B., Barlow, G.W. & Rogers, W. (1985) Two modal action patterns with a continuous temporal distribution. Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 68: 326-334. PDF

Barlow, G.W., Rogers, W. & Bond, A.B. (1984) Dummy-elicited aggressive behavior in the polychromatic midas cichlid. Biologie du Comportement 9: 115-130. PDF

Bond, A.B. (1983) The foraging behaviour of lacewing larvae on vertical rods. Animal Behaviour 31: 990-1004. PDF

Diamond, J. & Bond, A.B. (1983) The transmission of learned behavior: An observational study of father-child interactions during fishing. Ethology and Sociobiology 4: 95-110. PDF

Bond, A.B. (1983) Visual search and selection of natural stimuli in the pigeon: the attention threshold hypothesis. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 9: 292-306. PDF

Bond, A.B. (1982) The bead game: response strategies in free assortment. Human Factors 24: 101-110. PDF

Bond, A.B. (1982) The geometry of foraging patterns: Components of thoroughness in random searching. (Web-published 2004). PDF

Bond, A.B., R. Cook & M. Lamb. (1981) Spatial memory and the performance of rats and pigeons in the radial-arm maze. Animal Learning & Behavior 9: 575-580. PDF

Bond, A.B. (1981) Giving-up as a Poisson process: the departure decision of the green lacewing. Animal Behaviour 29: 629-630. PDF

Bond, A.B. (1980) Optimal foraging in a uniform habitat: The search mechanism of the green lacewing. Animal Behaviour 28: 10-19. PDF

Bond, A.B. (1978) Food deprivation and the regulation of meal size in larvae of Chrysopa carnea. Physiological Entomology 3: 27-32. PDF