Common Cuckoos <i>Cuculus canorus</i> change their nest‐searching strategy according to the number of available host nests

Jelínek, Václav; Procházka, Petr; Požgayová, Milica; Honza, Marcel

doi:10.1111/ibi.12093

Cited by 41 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…In addition, it is also possible that the denser nesting vegetation of the marsh warbler makes the nest search more difficult for the cuckoos and prevents them from finding enough nests from which to make their selection, and the differences in nest availability between the two warbler species at the two study sites could also play a role. While Antonov et al [32] claimed that the marsh warbler shows a secretive nesting behaviour and low nest density, our data on the great reed warbler demonstrate that during the peak breeding season the cuckoos have ample opportunities to choose [71].…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 63%

Brood parasites lay eggs matching the appearance of host clutches

et al. 2014

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Interspecific brood parasitism represents a prime example of the coevolutionary arms race where each party has evolved strategies in response to the other. Here, we investigated whether common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) actively select nests within a host population to match the egg appearance of a particular host clutch. To achieve this goal, we quantified the degree of egg matching using the avian vision modelling approach. Randomization tests revealed that cuckoo eggs in naturally parasitized nests showed lower chromatic contrast to host eggs than those assigned randomly to other nests with egg-laying date similar to naturally parasitized clutches. Moreover, egg matching in terms of chromaticity was better in naturally parasitized nests than it would be in the nests of the nearest active non-parasitized neighbour. However, there was no indication of matching in achromatic spectral characteristics whatsoever. Thus, our results clearly indicate that cuckoos select certain host nests to increase matching of their own eggs with host clutches, but only in chromatic characteristics. Our results suggest that the ability of cuckoos to actively choose host nests based on the eggshell appearance imposes a strong selection pressure on host egg recognition.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 63%

Brood parasites lay eggs matching the appearance of host clutches

et al. 2014

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“…The effect of breeding synchronization among the host on the risk of cuckoo parasitism and nest-searching strategy has been reported (e.g. Jelínek et al 2014;Soler et al 2015), but our result provided evidence for the effect of breeding synchronization among the hosts on the egg-matching laying strategy adopted by cuckoos. This result further implied that the laying strategy could be fine-tuned in a relatively short period within one breeding season.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 49%

Egg-spot matching in common cuckoo parasitism of the oriental reed warbler: effects of host nest availability and egg rejection

Ruan

Wang

et al. 2016

Avian Res

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Background:The success of cuckoo parasitism is thought to depend largely on the extent of egg matching between cuckoo and host eggs, since poor-matching cuckoo egg would lead to more frequent egg rejection by the host. In this study, we investigated how egg-spot matching between the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) and its host, the Oriental Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) is affected by the local parasitism rate, nest availability in breeding synchronization and egg rejection. Methods:We used the paired design of parasitized and their nearest non-parasitized nests where breeding occurred simultaneously to compare egg-spot matching. The image analysis was used to compare four eggshell pattern variables, namely spot size, density, coverage on the different areas of egg surface, and the distribution on the whole egg surface. Egg recognition experiments were conducted to test the effect of egg spots on egg rejection by the host. Results:Our results show that much better matching in almost all spot parameters tested on the side of the egg and the spot distribution on the whole egg occurred in parasitized nests than in non-parasitized nests. Matching of spot density between cuckoo and host eggs in parasitized nests increased with the synchronization between temporal availability of nests and the egg-laying period of female cuckoos. Egg recognition experiments in which the warbler eggs were deliberately painted with extra spots led to a significantly higher egg rejection rate (78.3%) than of unpainted eggs. Conclusion:Our data suggest that both the high temporal encounter rate between cuckoo and warbler nests as well as the high egg rejection ability of the host are important factors for egg-spot matching of the cuckoos.

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“…The population consisted of approximately 100 to 120 breeding pairs exhibiting 20-30 % male polygyny (Požgayová et al 2013) and a 30-50 % cuckoo parasitism rate (Jelínek et al 2014).…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nests were continuously searched for in the littoral vegetation fringing the fishponds and subsequently monitored at 1 to 4-day intervals (for more details about nest checking, see Požgayová et al 2013 andJelínek et al 2014). Adults were caught by mist-netting and colour ringed with a unique combination of a standard aluminium ring and up to three colour plastic rings.…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this passerine species, polygynous males provide less food per nest than their monogamous counterparts (Dyrcz 1986;Sejberg et al 2000), which often decreases fledging success, especially in lower ranking young (Catchpole et al 1985;Dyrcz 1986;Bensch and Hasselquist 1991;our unpublished data). Moreover, the great reed warbler is a major common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus, hereafter cuckoo) host (Moskát and Honza 2002;Campobello and Sealy 2009;Jelínek et al 2014). Although it is a high-quality host compared to other potential species (in terms of cuckoo growth and fledging success; Kleven et al 1999Kleven et al , 2004, the number of cuckoos fledging from secondary nests (compared with monogamous hosts) is more than two times lower (33 vs. 76 %) because of the costs of polygyny (Trnka et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lazy males and hardworking females? Sexual conflict over parental care in a brood parasite host and its consequences for chick growth

Požgayová

Beňo

Procházka

et al. 2015

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Due to the costs of parental care, a conflict of interests often arises between mates wherein each prefers the other to invest more. As with parents raising their own offspring, hosts of brood parasites also exhibit negotiations over investment, becoming particularly intensive when parasite demands are high. Lack of cooperation between the partners may eventually affect the condition and fledging success of the young. Here, we investigate the magnitude of sexual conflict over food provisioning in socially polygynous great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) rearing either a parasitic common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) or their own nestlings and its consequences for chick growth. We found that, overall, males provided less food than females, and that polygynous males provided less food per nest than monogamous males. Moreover, polygynous males provisioning two simultaneous broods supplied their own offspring in relation to age and type (cuckoo/host) of the other brood. Females, unlike males, delivered food amount almost irrespective of social status. The difference in contribution between polygynous males and their mates was most pronounced in nests with a cuckoo. In any case, reduced paternal assistance had no significant effect on growth performance of nestlings. In cuckoos, however, this result may be biased as we could not consider a relatively high proportion of secondary cuckoos that died before their growth parameters could be ascertained. Although not detected in chick growth, host sexual conflict over food provisioning may impose a cost on cuckoos in terms of increased mortality in secondary nests.

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Common Cuckoos Cuculus canorus change their nest‐searching strategy according to the number of available host nests

Cited by 41 publications

References 56 publications

Brood parasites lay eggs matching the appearance of host clutches

Brood parasites lay eggs matching the appearance of host clutches

Egg-spot matching in common cuckoo parasitism of the oriental reed warbler: effects of host nest availability and egg rejection

Lazy males and hardworking females? Sexual conflict over parental care in a brood parasite host and its consequences for chick growth

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