scholarly journals Killing behaviour of adult brood parasites

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Šulc ◽  
Gabriela Štětková ◽  
Václav Jelínek ◽  
Beata Czyż ◽  
Andrzej Dyrcz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Species ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Parasitic Species ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
The Common

Avian brood parasites such as cuckoos or cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other (host) species. To fool their hosts, parasites evolved striking adaptations such as very fast egg-laying or eggs that mimic host eggs. Here, we present video-recordings where the common cuckoo females kill nestlings in host nests. This interesting behaviour has been also observed in other brood parasitic species and we speculate about its significance.

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.

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 Spatial variation in egg polymorphism among cuckoo hosts across 4 continents

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 477-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Canchao Yang ◽  
Xingfeng Si ◽  
Wei Liang ◽  
Anders Pape Møller
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Selection Pressure ◽  
Color Polymorphism ◽  
Spatial Variations ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
The Common ◽  
Host Families

Abstract Although egg color polymorphism has evolved as an effective defensive adaptation to brood parasitism, spatial variations in egg color polymorphism remain poorly characterized. Here, we investigated egg polymorphism in 647 host species (68 families and 231 genera) parasitized by 41 species of Old Word cuckoos (1 family and 11 genera) across Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia. The diversity of parasitic cuckoos differs among continents, reflecting the continent-specific intensities of parasitic selection pressure on hosts. Therefore, host egg polymorphism is expected to evolve more frequently on continents with higher cuckoo diversity. We identified egg polymorphism in 24.1% of all host species and 47.6% of all host families. The common cuckoo Cuculus canorus utilized 184 hosts (28.4% of all host species). Hosts of the common cuckoo and of Chrysococcyx species were more likely to have polymorphic eggs than hosts parasitized by other cuckoos. Both the number of host species and the host families targeted by the cuckoo species were positively correlated with the frequency of host egg polymorphism. Most host species and most hosts exhibiting egg color polymorphism were located in Asia and Africa. Host egg polymorphism was observed less frequently in Australia and Europe. Our results also suggested that egg polymorphism tends to occur more frequently in hosts that are utilized by several cuckoo species or by generalist cuckoo species. We suggest that selection pressure on hosts from a given continent increases proportionally to the number of cuckoo species, and that this selection pressure may, in turn, favor the evolution of host egg polymorphism.

Spatiotemporal patterns of egg laying in the common cuckoo

2021 ◽  
Vol 177 ◽  
pp. 107-116
Author(s):  
Jaroslav Koleček ◽  
Radka Piálková ◽  
Lubomír Piálek ◽  
Michal Šulc ◽  
Anna E. Hughes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Egg Laying ◽  
Spatiotemporal Patterns ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
The Common

scholarly journals Fate of Grackle (Quiscalus SPP.) Defenses in the Absence of Brood Parasitism: Implications for Long-Term Parasite-Host Coevolution

The Auk ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 1172-1186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian D. Peer ◽  
Spencer G. Sealy
Keyword(s):  
Host Species ◽  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Selection Pressure ◽  
Egg Rejection ◽  
Allopatric Population ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Cowbird Parasitism ◽  
The Common ◽  
Molothrus Aeneus

Abstract We tested grackles (Quiscalus spp.) to determine whether they retain egg rejection behavior in the absence of the selection pressure of brood parasitism. Neither Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) nor Brown-headed Cowbird (M. ater) parasitism was recorded in 797 Great-tailed Grackle (Q. mexicanus) nests. Cross-fostered Bronzed Cowbird nestlings, but not Brown-headed Cowbird nestlings, fledged from Great-tailed Grackle nests, indicating that Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism does not select for rejection in these grackles. Great-tailed Grackle populations sympatric and allopatric with Bronzed Cowbirds rejected 100% of model cowbird eggs. An allopatric population of Boat-tailed Grackle (Q. major), a sister species of the Great-tailed Grackle, also rejected 100% of model eggs. Egg rejection in the Boat-tailed Grackle has apparently been retained in the absence of parasitism for as long as 800,000 years since it split from the Great-tailed Grackle. The Common Grackle (Q. quiscula), which lays the most variable eggs among the grackles, also has the lowest level of egg rejection—which is consistent with the argument that it may have lost most of its rejection behavior in the absence of parasitism. With extreme intraclutch egg-variation, Common Grackles may be more likely to reject their own oddly colored eggs, which would select against rejection behavior in the absence of parasitism. Those results have significant implications for long-term parasite-host coevolution, because they suggest that egg rejection has been retained in most species of Quiscalus in the absence of parasitism. If typical of the world's avifauna, such retention may force brood parasites to specialize on a few host species and to rarely return to using old hosts, which would readily reject their eggs.

scholarly journals Evidence for egg discrimination preceding failed rejection attempts in a small cuckoo host

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Antonov ◽  
Bård G Stokke ◽  
Arne Moksnes ◽  
Eivin Røskaft
Keyword(s):  
Structural Strength ◽  
Egg Rejection ◽  
Cuculus Canorus ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Egg Discrimination ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
The Common ◽  
Hippolais Pallida ◽  
Host Behaviour ◽  
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Given the high costs of avian obligate brood parasitism, host individuals are selected to reject parasitic eggs they recognize as foreign. We show that rejection may not necessarily follow egg discrimination when selective removal of the parasitic egg is difficult. We studied egg rejection behaviour in a small host of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus , the eastern olivaceous warbler Hippolais pallida , by experimental parasitism with model and real non-mimetic cuckoo eggs and video recordings of host behaviour. Hosts pecked 87 per cent (20 out of 23) of the model eggs but eventually accepted 43.5 per cent (10 out of 23) of them. A similar pattern was found for real cuckoo eggs, which were all pecked, but as many as 47 per cent (7 out of 15) of them were accepted. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a cuckoo host discriminating against real parasitic eggs but often accepting them. Our results also show that in host species experiencing difficulties in performing puncture ejection, non-mimetic cuckoo eggs may avoid rejection by means of their unusually high structural strength.

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 Personality of hosts and their brood parasites

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Pape Møller ◽  
Xingfeng Si
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Tonic Immobility ◽  
Escape Behavior ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Escape Behaviour ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Specific Behaviour ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
The Common ◽  
Comparative Phylogenetic Analysis

Abstract Brood parasites such as the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus exploit the parental abilities of their hosts, Hosts avoid brood parasitism and predation by showing specific behaviour such as loss of feathers, emission of fear screams and contact calls, displaying wriggle behavior to avoid hosts or potential prey, pecking at hosts and prey and expressing tonic immobility (showing behaviour like feigning death or rapid escape from predators and brood parasites). These aspects of escape behavior are consistent for individuals but also among sites, seasons and years. Escape behaviour expressed in response to a broad range of cuckoo hosts and prey are consistently used against capture by humans, but also hosts and brood parasites and predators and their prey. An interspecific comparative phylogenetic analysis of escape behavior by hosts and their brood parasites and prey and their predators revealed evidence of consistent behaviour when encountering potential parasites or predators. We hypothesize that personality axes such as those ranging from fearfulness to being bold, and from neophobic to curiosity response in brood parasites constitute important components of defense against brood parasitism that reduces the overall risk of parasitism.

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