Begging Call Mimicry by Brood Parasite Nestlings: Adaptation, Manipulation and Development

2017 ◽  
pp. 517-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel A. Jamie ◽  
Rebecca M. Kilner
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasite

scholarly journals Mismatched begging displays between foreign and host offspring reduce brood parasite fitness

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 785-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Rivers ◽  
M. A. Blundell ◽  
S. I. Rothstein
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Parasite Fitness

scholarly journals Sora (Porzana carolina) Parasitism of Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) Nests

2018 ◽  
Vol 131 (4) ◽  
pp. 312-316
Author(s):  
Lawrence D. Igl
Keyword(s):  
North Dakota ◽  
Agelaius Phoeniceus ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Porzana Carolina

Sora (Porzana carolina) is a conspecific brood parasite that also occasionally parasitizes nests of other species. Sora parasitism in nests of passerines is rare. Of 129 Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) nests found in North Dakota in 2009 and 2010, two (1.6%) were parasitized by Soras. The conditions favouring this rare parasitic behaviour may include competition for nest sites and high Sora density.

scholarly journals Evolution: How Not to Detect a Brood Parasite

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (20) ◽  
pp. R1192-R1194
Author(s):  
Bruce E. Lyon ◽  
Andrew G. Zink
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasite

Source-sink population dynamics driven by a brood parasite: A case study of an endangered songbird, the black-capped vireo

2016 ◽  
Vol 203 ◽  
pp. 108-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E. Walker ◽  
John M. Marzluff ◽  
David A. Cimprich
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Source Sink

Environmentally driven escalation of host egg rejection decimates success of an avian brood parasite

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1316-1325 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M Eadie ◽  
Bruce E Lyon
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Egg Rejection ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Parasitic Lifestyle ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Rejection Rates

Abstract The black-headed duck (Heteronetta atricapilla) of South America is the only known avian obligate brood parasite with precocial offspring. In Argentina, it relies on two species of coots as primary hosts, which typically reject 35–65% of duck eggs. We show that environmentally driven increases in host egg rejection behavior lead to substantial reductions in the reproductive success of the brood parasite. Episodes of flooding and vegetation loss caused dramatic shifts in host egg-rejection behavior, resulting in rejection (85–95%) of almost all duck eggs. Coots respond to fluctuating water levels by building up their nest, raising their own eggs but leaving duck eggs behind. Coots can apparently recognize parasitic duck eggs, but large-scale rejection is triggered only when hosts must actively make a choice. We use a simple population model to illustrate the unique demographic challenges that black-headed ducks face with their parasitic lifestyle and to explore the potential impact of environmentally induced escalation of egg rejection. Using the best available estimates for key vital rates, we show that obligate parasitism may provide a demographically precarious existence for black-headed ducks, even under benign environmental conditions. Environmentally mediated increases in egg rejection rates by hosts could impact significantly the viability of this enigmatic species of brood parasitic duck. Our results demonstrate that egg rejection rates are not fixed properties of host populations or individuals but are strongly influenced by social and ecological factors. Shifts in these environmental drivers could have important and unforeseen demographic consequences for brood parasites.

scholarly journals Host Recognition of Brood Parasites: Implications for Methodology in Studies of Enemy Recognition

The Auk ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 530-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Grim
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Columba Livia ◽  
Host Recognition ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Accurate Picture ◽  
Rock Pigeon ◽  
The Common ◽  
Enemy Recognition

AbstractVarious studies have shown that experiments on nest defense and enemy recognition (e.g. recognition of adult brood parasites) can be confounded by many factors. However, no study has described a confounding effect of control dummy type. Here, I show experimentally that the choice of control dummy may influence the results of an experiment and lead to erroneous conclusions. I tested recognition abilities of the Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), currently a host rarely used by the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Blackcaps responded very differently to two kinds of control dummies: they ignored the Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) dummy, but attacked the Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) dummy as frequently as they attacked the Common Cuckoo. The differing results may be explained by the fact that the Rock Pigeon is more similar to the Common Cuckoo than the Eurasian Blackbird is, and consequently elicited more aggressive behavior than the latter. Thus, absence of discrimination in enemy-recognition studies may reflect a methodological artifact resulting from varying abilities of particular hosts to discriminate along a continuum of recognition cues. This result has serious methodological implications for further research on enemy recognition and aggression in general: a control dummy should not be too similar to the dummy brood parasite; otherwise, the chance of detecting existing recognition abilities is low. Further, I argue that coevolution only increases pre-existing aggression in the particular host species. Therefore, increment analysis (assessing changes in host antiparasitic responses during the nesting cycle while controlling for background aggression to control dummies) provides a more accurate picture of hosts' recognition abilities than the traditional approach (when the total level of antiparasitic response is analyzed).

scholarly journals Brood parasitism in eusocial insects (Hymenoptera): role of host geographical range size and phylogeny

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1769) ◽  
pp. 20180203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jukka Suhonen ◽  
Jaakko J. Ilvonen ◽  
Tommi Nyman ◽  
Jouni Sorvari
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Geographical Range ◽  
Social Parasite ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Social Parasites ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Eusocial Insects ◽  
Interspecific Brood Parasitism ◽  
Logistic Regressions

Interspecific brood parasitism is common in many animal systems. Brood parasites enter the nests of other species and divert host resources for producing their own offspring, which can lead to strong antagonistic parasite–host coevolution. Here, we look at commonalities among social insect species that are victims of brood parasites, and use phylogenetic data and information on geographical range size to predict which species are most probably to fall victims to brood parasites in the future. In our analyses, we focus on three eusocial hymenopteran groups and their brood parasites: (i) bumblebees, (ii) Myrmica ants, and (iii) vespine and polistine wasps. In these groups, some, but not all, species are parasitized by obligate workerless inquilines that only produce reproductive-caste descendants. We find phylogenetic signals for geographical range size and the presence of parasites in bumblebees, but not in ants and wasps. Phylogenetic logistic regressions indicate that the probability of being attacked by one or more brood parasite species increases with the size of the geographical range in bumblebees, but the effect is statistically only marginally significant in ants. However, non-phylogenetic logistic regressions suggest that bumblebee species with the largest geographical range sizes may have a lower likelihood of harbouring social parasites than do hosts with medium-sized ranges. Our results provide new insights into the ecology and evolution of host–social parasite systems, and indicate that host phylogeny and geographical range size can be used to predict threats posed by social parasites, as well to design efficient conservation measures for both hosts and their parasites. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The coevolutionary biology of brood parasitism: from mechanism to pattern’.

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