Cuckoos in raptors' clothing: barred plumage illuminates a fundamental principle of Batesian mimicry

Gluckman, Thanh-Lan; Mundy, Nicholas I.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.020

Cited by 38 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 276 publications

(559 reference statements)

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“…However, recent experiments with both hosts and non‐hosts have shown that to avian eyes the grey cuckoo morph successfully mimics the sparrowhawk (‘hawk‐mimicry'), which facilitates a parasite female's access to host nests (Davies & Welbergen, ; Welbergen & Davies, ). Further correlative evidence also supports the hawk‐mimicry hypothesis: hawk‐like features in cuckoos phylogenetically correlate with cuckoo polymorphism (Thorogood & Davies, ) and geographically correlate with sympatric raptor models (Gluckman & Mundy, ). This suggests that mimicry dynamics may promote evolution and maintenance of multiple female morphs in parasitic cuckoos (Thorogood & Davies, , ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 54%

“…For human eyes, rufous females may be even more similar to merlins Falco columbarius than kestrels (Voipio, ). Yet the rufous morph typically lives in allopatry with merlins, contrary to an assumption that rufous females mimic merlins (see also Gluckman & Mundy, ). This provides another independent line of evidence against a hypothesis that rufous females are mimicking falconid raptors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…). Sparrowhawks and grey cuckoos share underpart barring and yellow eyes (iris), both of which are important discrimination cues for hosts (Davies & Welbergen, ; Trnka et al ., ; Gluckman & Mundy, ). Additionally, they share grey head and upperparts (Stoddard, ) although the adaptive significance of these similarities has not yet been tested experimentally.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Most studies refer to cuckoo vs. hawk/falcon similarity as Batesian mimicry (e.g. Honza et al ., ; Thorogood & Davies, ; Gluckman & Mundy, ; Trnka & Grim, ). However, an alternative view is that cuckoo–raptor similarity does not represent Batesian mimicry but aggressive mimicry (Wyllie, ; Welbergen & Davies, ; Stoddard, ; see also Mappes & Lindström, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hawk‐like traits of cuckoos correlate geographically with hawk‐like traits of sympatric raptor models (Gluckman & Mundy, ). However, host responses do not covary geographically with local abundance of sparrowhawks and kestrels (Trnka & Grim, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Do rufous common cuckoo females indeed mimic a predator? An experimental test

Trnka

Grim

2015

Biol. J. Linn. Soc.

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The similarity of common cuckoos Cuculus canorus to raptors is accepted as a classic example of predator mimicry. However, cuckoo females are polymorphic: grey females are similar to sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus, while rufous females were assumed to mimic kestrels Falco tinnunculus. Previous evidence based on dummy experiments with grey females consistently showed that both hosts and non-hosts recognize this brood parasite by its yellow eye and barred underparts. However, these traits are absent in kestrels. Host responses also do not covary geographically with local abundance of supposed models (sparrowhawks/kestrels). These patterns cast doubts on the kestrelmimicry hypothesis. Here, we show experimentally for the first time that small birds that are unsuitable as hosts indeed do not mistake rufous cuckoos for kestrels: both tree sparrows Passer montanus and house sparrows P. domesticus feared grey cuckoos (similarly to sparrowhawks and kestrels) but ignored rufous cuckoos (similarly to innocuous Eurasian collared doves Streptopelia decaocto). These results provide further support for the hawkmimicry hypothesis, but reject the kestrel-mimicry hypothesis. Colour polymorphism in birds is determined genetically, follows simple Mendelian rules and affects only colour but not patterns. These facts and striking similarities between plumages of rufous females and cuckoo fledglings suggest that the rufous morph is simply a colour alternative to the grey morph, did not evolve to mimic kestrels and might have arisen through paedomorphic retention of juvenile plumage to adulthood (neoteny). Research on the genetic, developmental and mechanistic basis of cuckoo plumage polymorphism will be especially revealing.

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