Richard Alexis Zann (1945 – 7 February 2009) was an Australian ornithologist. After taking his PhD in 1972 at the University of Queensland he moved to La Trobe University in Melbourne, Victoria. The main focus of his ornithological research was the zebra finch.
In 1998 he was awarded the D. L. Serventy Medal by the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union for outstanding published work on birds in the Australasian region.
He was also known for his studies on the island biogeography of the volcanic island of Krakatau, Indonesia. He was killed, along with his wife Eileen and daughter Eva, at Kinglake, Victoria in the 2009 Victorian bushfires.
A book authored by Zann was:
Zann, Richard A. (1996). Zebra Finch: A Synthesis of Field and Laboratory Studies. (Illustrated by Michael Bamford). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-854079-3.
Scientific papers authored and coauthored by Zann include:
Zann, R.A. (1976). Variation in the songs of three species of Estrildine Grassfinches. Emu 76(3): 97-108.
Zann, R.A. (1984). Structural variation in the zebra finch distance call. Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 66: 328-345.
Zann, R.A.; & Straw, B’ (1984). Feeding ecology and breeding of zebra finches in farmland in Northern Victoria. Australian Wildlife Research 11: 533-552.
Zann, R.A. (1985). Ontogeny of the zebra finch distance call: I. Effects of cross-fostering to Bengalese finches. Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 68: 1-23.
Birkhead, T.R.; Clarkson, K.; & Zann, R. (1988). Extra-pair courtship, copulation and mate guarding in wild zebra finches. Animal Behaviour 36:1853-1855.
Thornton, I.W.B.; Zann, R.A.; Rawlinson, P.A.; Tidemann, C.R.; Adikerana, A.S.; & Widjoya, A.H.T. (1988). Colonization of the Krakatau Islands by vertebrates: equilibrium, succession and possible delayed extinction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 85: 515-518.
Burley, N.; Zann, R.A.; Tidemann, S.C.; & Male, E.B. (1989). Sex ratios of Zebra Finches. Emu 89: 83-92.
Birkhead, T.R.; Burke, T.; Zann, R.; Hunter, F.M.; & Krupa, A.P. (1990). Extra-pair paternity and intraspecific brood parasitism in wild zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata, revealed by DNA fingerprinting. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 27: 315-324.
Thornton, I.W.B.; New, T.R.; Zann, R.A.; & Rawlinson, P.A. (1990). Colonization of the Krakatau Islands (Indonesia) by animals: A perspective from the 1980s. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 328: 131-165.
Thornton, I.W.B.; Zann, R.A.; & Stephenson, D.G. (1990). Colonization of the Krakatau Islands (Indonesia) by land birds, and the approach to an equilibrium number of species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 328: 55-94.
Tidemann, C.R.; Kitchener, D.J.; Zann, R.A.; & Thornton, I.W.B. (1990). Recolonization of the Krakatau Islands and adjacent areas of West Java, Indonesia, by bats (Chiroptera) 1883-1986. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 328: 123-130.
Zann, R. (1990). Song and call learning in wild zebra finches in south-east Australia. Animal Behaviour 40: 811-828.
Zann, R.A.; Male, E.B.; & Darjono. (1990). Bird colonization of Arak Krakatau, an emergent volcanic island. Philosophical Transaction of the Royal Society of London B 328: 95-120.
Zann, R.A.; Walker, M.V.; Adhikerana, A.S.; Davison, G.W.; Male, E.B.; & Darjono. (1990). The birds of the Krakatau Islands (Indonesia) 1984-86. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 328: 29-54.
Clayton, N.S.; Hodson, D.; & Zann, R.A. (1991). Geographic variation in Zebra Finch sub species. Emu 91: 2-11.
Zann, R.; & Rossetto, M. (1991). Zebra Finch incubation: brood patch, egg temperature and thermal properties of the nest. Emu 91: 107-120.
Burley, N.T.; Price, D.K.; & Zann, R.A. (1992). Bill color, reproduction and condition effects in wild and domesticated Zebra Finches. Auk 109: 13-23.
Rawlinson, P.A.; Zann R.A.; van Balen, S.; & Thornton, I.W.B. (1992). Colonization of the Krakatau Islands by vertebrates. Geojournal 28: 225-231.
Thornton, I.W.B.; Ward, S.A.; Zann, R.A.; & New, T.R. (1992). Anak Krakatau--a colonization model within a colonization model? GeoJournal 28: 271-286.
Zann, R.A.; & Darjono. (1992). The birds of Anak Krakatau: The assembly of an avian community. GeoJournal 28: 261-270.
Zann, R. (1993). Structure, sequence and evolution of song elements in wild Australian Zebra Finches. Auk 110: 702-715.
Zann, R. (1993). Variation in song structure within and among populations of Australian Zebra Finches. Auk 110: 716-726.
Zann, R. (1994). Effects of band color on survivorship, body condition and reproductive effort of free-living Australian Zebra Finches. Auk 111: 131-142.
Zann, R.A. (1994). Reproduction in a Zebra Finch colony in south-eastern Australia: the significance of monogamy, precocial breeding and multiple broods in a highly mobile species. Emu 94: 285-299.
Zann, R; & Runciman, D. (1994). Survivorship, dispersal and sex ratios of Zebra Finches Taeniopygia guttata in southeast Australia. Ibis 136: 136-146.
Zann, R.A.; Morton, S.R.; Jones, K.R.; & Burley, N. (1995). The timing of breeding of Zebra Finches in relation to rainfall in central Australia. Emu 95: 208-222.
Dunn, A.M.; & Zann, R.A. (1996). Undirected song in wild Zebra Finch flocks: contexts and effects of mate removal. Ethology 102: 529-539.
Zann, R.A.; & Dunn, A.M. (1996). Undirected song encourages the breeding female zebra finch to remain in the nest. Ethology 102: 540-548.
Dunn, A.M.; & Zann, R.A. (1997). Effects of pair bond and presence of conspecifics on singing in captive Zebra Finches. Behaviour 134: 127-142.
Runciman, D,; Zann, R.A.; & Murray N.D. (1999). A W-chromosome linked marker for gender identification in the zebra finch. Animal Genetics 30: 66-67.
Ewenson, E.L.; Zann, R.A.; & Flannery G.R. (2001). Body condition and immune response in wild zebra finches: effects of capture, confinement and captive-rearing. Naturwissenschaften 88: 391-394.
Ewenson, E.; Zann, R.; & Flannery, G. (2003). PHA immune response assay in captive zebra finches is modulated by activity prior to testing. Animal Behaviour 66(4): 797-800.
Zann, R.; & Runciman, D. (2003). Primary sex ratios in zebra finches: no evidence for adaptive manipulation in wild and semi-domesticated populations. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 54(03): 294-302.
Runciman, D.; Zann, R.A.; & Murray, N.D. (2005). Geographic and Temporal Variation of the Male Zebra Finch Distance Call. Ethology 111(4): 367-379.
Roper, A.; & Zann, R. 2006. The Onset of Song Learning and Song Tutor Selection in Fledgling Zebra Finches. Ethology 112(5): 458-470.
Perfito, N.; Zann, R.A.; Bentley, G.E.; & Hau, M. (2007). Opportunism at work: habitat predictability affects reproductive readiness in free-living zebra finches. Functional Ecology 21(2): 291-301.
Zann, R.; & Cash, E. (2008). Developmental stress impairs song complexity but not learning accuracy in non-domesticated zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata ). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 62: 391-400; doi 10.1007/s00265-007-0467-2.
