scholarly journals Common cuckoo females remove more conspicuous eggs during parasitism

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 201264
Author(s):  
Longwu Wang ◽  
Yuhan Zhang ◽  
Wei Liang ◽  
Anders Pape Møller
Keyword(s):  
Reed Warbler ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Alternative Strategies ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Survival Chance ◽  
Egg Mimicry ◽  
Egg Crypsis

Avian obligate brood parasites gain an advantage by removing the eggs of the cuckoos who have already visited the nest, which can increase the chances of survival for their offspring. Conversely, to prevent their eggs from being picked up by the next parasitic cuckoo, they need to take some precautions. Egg mimicry and egg crypsis are two alternative strategies to prevent the parasitized egg from being picked up by another parasitic cuckoo. Here, we tested whether the egg crypsis hypothesis has a preventative effect when common cuckoos ( Cuculus canorus ) parasitize their Oriental reed warbler ( Acrocephalus orientalis ) hosts. We designed two experimental groups with different crypsis effects to induce common cuckoos to lay eggs and observed whether the cuckoos selectively picked up the experimental eggs with low crypsis levels in the process of parasitism. Our results supported the egg crypsis hypothesis; the observed cuckoos significantly preferred to select the more obvious white model eggs. This shows that even in an open nest, eggs that are adequately hidden can also be protected from being picked up by cuckoo females during parasitism so as to increase the survival chance of their own parasitic eggs.

scholarly journals Nest Size Matters: Common Cuckoos Prefer to Parasitize Larger Nests of Oriental Reed Warblers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Longwu Wang ◽  
Gangbin He ◽  
Canchao Yang ◽  
Anders Pape Møller ◽  
Wei Liang
Keyword(s):  
Foster Parents ◽  
Nest Size ◽  
Reed Warbler ◽  
Artificial Nest ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Nest Choice ◽  
Experimental Findings ◽  
Large Host

Abstract BackgroundAvian brood parasites leave parental care of their offspring to foster parents. Theory predicts that parasites should select for large host nests when they have sufficient available host nests at a given time. We developed an empirical experimental design to address this hypothesis by studying nest choice of common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) among nests of its Oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) hosts.ResultsWe presented two groups of experimental nests: 1) nest dyads comprise one large and one small artificial nest from reed leaves, and 2) nest triads tied together use the modified old own warbler nests including enlarged, reduced and medium sized nests to elicit parasitism by common cuckoos. We predicted that cuckoos prefer larger nests over medium sized ones, and over the smallest nest. Our experimental findings show that common cuckoo females generally prefer large nests over medium or small sized nests. Furthermore, experiments showed that cuckoo parasitism was significantly more common than in previous studies of the same warbler population.ConclusionsOur results implying that larger, taller and more exposed host nests effectively increased the probability of cuckoo parasitism.

scholarly journals Heterospecific alarm-call recognition in two warbler hosts of common cuckoos

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 1149-1157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangping Yu ◽  
Hailin Lu ◽  
Wei Sun ◽  
Wei Liang ◽  
Haitao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alarm Call ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Reed Warbler ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Playback Experiments ◽  
Call Recognition ◽  
Accipiter Nisus ◽  
Main Host ◽  
The Common

Abstract Species facing similar selection pressures should recognize heterospecific alarm signals. However, no study has so far examined heterospecific alarm-call recognition in response to parasitism by cuckoos. In this study, we tested whether two sympatric host species of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, Oriental reed warbler Acrocephalus orientalis (ORW, main host), and black-browed reed warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps (BRW, rare host), could recognize each other’s alarm calls in response to cuckoos. Dummies of common cuckoo (parasite) and Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus (predator) were used to induce and record alarm calls of the two warbler species, respectively. In the conspecific alarm-call playback experiments, ORW responded more strongly to cuckoo alarm calls than to sparrowhawk alarm calls, while BRW responded less strongly to cuckoo alarm calls than to sparrowhawk alarm calls. In the heterospecific alarm-call playback experiments, both ORW and BRW responded less strongly to cuckoo alarm calls than sparrowhawk alarm calls. BRW seemed to learn the association between parasite-related alarm calls of the ORW and the cuckoo by observing the process of ORW attacking cuckoos. In contrast, alarm calls of BRW to cuckoos were rarely recorded in most cases. BRW with low parasite pressure still developed recognition of heterospecific parasite-related alarm call. Unintended receivers in the same community should recognize heterospecific alarm calls precisely to extract valuable information.

The common cuckoo Cuculus canorus is not locally adapted to its reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus host

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 314-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. AVILÉS ◽  
J. R. VIKAN ◽  
F. FOSSØY ◽  
A. ANTONOV ◽  
A. MOKSNES ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reed Warbler ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Acrocephalus Scirpaceus ◽  
The Common

scholarly journals Fast and furious: host aggression modulates behaviour of brood parasites

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Václav Jelínek ◽  
Michal Šulc ◽  
Gabriela Štětková ◽  
Marcel Honza
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Nest Defence ◽  
Great Reed Warbler ◽  
Acrocephalus Arundinaceus ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
The Common

ABSTRACTAvian brood parasites pose a serious threat for hosts, substantially reducing their fitness which selects for the evolution of host defences. A classic example of a host frontline defence is mobbing which frequently includes contact attacking of brood parasites. Here, we investigated how the nest defence of a very aggressive great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) host influences the speed of egg-laying and egg-removing behaviour of its brood parasite – the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). We video-recorded 168 brood parasitic events at 102 active host nests and found that cuckoos avoided host mobbing in only 62% of cases. If hosts spotted the cuckoo at their nests, they almost always attacked it (in 91 of 104 cases), however, such attacks only rarely and temporarily prevented cuckoos from parasitizing (11 additional cases). When attacked, cuckoos parasitized host nests significantly faster and left them immediately. However, when not attacked, cuckoos frequently stayed at or near the nest suggesting that host aggression, rather than the risk of being spotted, influences the speed of brood parasitism in this species. Further, we found that cuckoos performed egg-removing behaviour in all parasitic events without regard to host aggression. As a result, cuckoos removed at least one egg during all brood parasitism events except those when an egg slipped from their beaks and fell back into the nest (in 9 of 73 cases). This indicates that egg-removing behaviour is not costly for the common cuckoo and is an essential part of its parasitism strategy, widening understanding of this currently unexplained behaviour.

Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus and host behaviour at Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus nests

Ibis ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 142 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
ARNE MOKSNES ◽  
EIVIN RØSKAFT ◽  
LISE GREGER HAGEN ◽  
MARCEL HONZA ◽  
CECILIE MØRK ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reed Warbler ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Acrocephalus Scirpaceus ◽  
Host Behaviour

scholarly journals Killing behaviour of adult brood parasites

Behaviour ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 157 (12-13) ◽  
pp. 1099-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Šulc ◽  
G. Štětková ◽  
V. Jelínek ◽  
B. Czyż ◽  
A. Dyrcz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Video Recording ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
The Common

Abstract Decades of studies have revealed the striking adaptations of avian brood parasites for their unique reproductive lifestyle. Several have reported that adult brood parasites sometimes kill host nestlings, although the reasons for this behaviour remain unclear. Using continuous video-recording and camera traps, we observed the same behaviour in the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, showing that both host and parasite nestlings can be killed. The latter has never previously been observed in cuckoos. Here, we review this phenomenon and discuss possible explanations.

scholarly journals Cuckoos use host egg number to choose host nests for parasitism

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1928) ◽  
pp. 20200343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Longwu Wang ◽  
Canchao Yang ◽  
Gangbin He ◽  
Wei Liang ◽  
Anders Pape Møller
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiment ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Reed Warbler ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Host Nest ◽  
Laying Sequence ◽  
Egg Number ◽  
The Right

To maximize their offspring success common cuckoo ( Cuculus canorus ) females should lay their eggs into host nests before incubation has begun. This ensures that the parasite chick hatches before all host chicks and can evict its foster siblings to monopolize host parental care. Many studies have demonstrated that most cuckoo eggs are indeed laid before the onset of host incubation. But cues used by female cuckoos to choose the right nest at the right time remain unclear. Here, we combine field observations with a field experiment to test whether female cuckoos use the number of eggs in the nests of their Oriental reed warbler ( Acrocephalus orientalis ) hosts to direct their choice. Over 8 years of field observations and 5 years of experiments, cuckoo females placed the majority of their eggs in nests with fewer than three host eggs, i.e. early in the laying sequence. For natural nests, the cuckoos may use information gleaned from the activity and behaviour of the host parents to make their choice. In our sets of experimental nests containing different numbers of model eggs, the vast majority of parasitism events occurred in nests containing a single egg. To our knowledge, this is the first field experiment showing that cuckoos choose host nests for parasitism based on the number of host eggs they contain. It appears that cuckoo females use the egg number to estimate the appropriate host nest stage for timely parasitism.

Sperm morphology of avian brood parasites: the Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus and Oriental Cuckoo C. optatus

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-131
Author(s):  
Geun-Won Bae ◽  
Sue-Jeong Jin ◽  
Jin-Won Lee ◽  
Jeong-Chil Yoo
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Morphology ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
The Common

scholarly journals Responses of Parasitized And Unparasitized Common Redstart (Phoenicurus Phoenicurus) Populations Against Artificial Cuckoo Parasitism

The Auk ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 259-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarkko Rutila ◽  
Jukka Jokimäki ◽  
Jesús M. Avilés ◽  
Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Rejection Rate ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Selection Pressures ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Phoenicurus Phoenicurus ◽  
Defensive Mechanisms ◽  
Current Selection ◽  
Different Levels

Abstract Brood parasitism selects for defensive mechanisms that enhance host fitness. Therefore, host populations under different parasitism pressures may express different levels of defense against brood parasites. We tested the rejection responses of currently parasitized and unparasitized Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) populations in Finland to artificial Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) eggs. We predicted a higher level of defense in the parasitized population, but in fact the rejection rate was higher in the nonparasitized population. Nonmimetic artificial eggs were rejected more often than mimetic ones. Desertion probability was higher in the nonparasitized population and was independent of artificial egg type. Common Redstarts in the parasitized population rejected the artificial eggs mostly through ejection, whereas desertion was a more frequent rejection method in the nonparasitized population. Our results suggest that current selection pressures from brood parasites do not always explain the current levels of defense. Respuestas de Poblaciones Parasitadas y No Parasitadas de Phoenicurus phoenicurus Contra el Parasitismo Artificial de Cuculus canorus

scholarly journals Decoupled Acoustic and Visual Components in the Multimodal Signals of the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Esposito ◽  
Maria Ceraulo ◽  
Beniamino Tuliozi ◽  
Giuseppa Buscaino ◽  
Salvatore Mazzola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Po Plain ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Multimodal Signals ◽  
Reproduction Costs ◽  
The Common ◽  
A Site ◽  
Selection Mechanisms

Because of its parasitic habits, reproduction costs of the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) are mostly spent in pre-laying activities. Female costs are limited to searching host nests and laying eggs, whereas, males spend time in performing intense vocal displays, possibly with territorial purpose. This last aspect, together with a sexual plumage dimorphism, points to both intra- and inter-sexual selections operating within this species. One element triggering sexual selection is a differential fitness accrued by different phenotypes. Before analyzing possible sexual selection mechanisms operating in cuckoos, it is therefore necessary to verify whether there is a variability among male secondary characters by describing and quantifying them. Here we aimed to quantitatively characterize the main two potential candidates of sexual selection traits, i.e., calls and displays, shown by males at perches. During the 2019 breeding season, in a site within the Po Plain, we both audio and video recorded cuckoo males at five different perches. We analyzed acoustic variables as well as display sequences searching for potential correlations. We found a significant variation among calls that could be clustered into four vocal types. We also found that no visual displays were associated with vocal displays; cuckoo males were either vocal and motionless or soundless and active. We discuss our results under the perspective of the potential value of sexual selection in brood parasites and its role in its parasitic habit.

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