Differences in the nestling begging calls of hosts and host-races of the common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus

Butchart, Stuart H. M.; Kilner, Rebecca M.; Fuisz, Tibor István; Davies, N. B.

doi:10.1006/anbe.2003.2066

Cited by 46 publications

(34 citation statements)

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“…Although no other study has examined parent-absent begging in a brood parasitic species under natural conditions, these results run counter to most studies of begging during provisioning events by brood parasites. Those studies have found that begging intensity during feeding events (e.g., time spent begging, begging posture) varied relative to hunger level (Butchart et al 2003;Hauber and Ramsey 2003;Lichtenstein and Dearborn 2004;Tanaka and Ueda 2005; but see Redondo 1993). Nevertheless, the results from the current study mirror begging during feeding visits from the same sample of nests (Rivers 2007) and match the general pattern that the begging intensity of cowbirds during parent-absent events was consistently higher than that of hosts of all sizes in this study in accordance with previous examinations of cowbird begging during feeding visits (Briskie et al 1994;Lichtenstein and Sealy 1998;Dearborn 1998;Glassey and Forbes 2003;Rivers 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parent-absent begging in the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater): the role of short-term need and nestmate size

Rivers

2009

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Although it is well-established that nestlings of many altricial species beg when parents are away from the nest, we have a poor understanding of parent-absent begging in brood parasites, including the proximate factors that may influence begging frequency and intensity. In this study, I examined how parent-absent begging was influenced by competitive asymmetries between host and Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) nestlings under disparate levels of short-term need. Food-deprived cowbird nestlings begged more frequently and for a greater proportion of parent-absent period than when food-supplemented, with similar patterns observed in hosts of different sizes. In contrast, three metrics of cowbird begging intensity varied relative to host size but not due to differences in short-term need. Cowbirds consistently begged more frequently and intensively than host nestlings for a given level of short-term need, providing evidence that cowbird begging displays are more frequent and intense than non-parasitic nestlings during both feeding visits and parent-absent periods. In sum, the frequency of begging by cowbirds was only influenced by short-term need, whereas begging intensity during parent-absent events was only influenced by the host against which cowbirds competed. This study demonstrates that host size and shortterm need had differing influences on the frequency and intensity of parent-absent begging in cowbirds, although both factors are likely important in limiting the evolution of parent-absent begging in cowbirds. Because it appears to provide no immediate benefits yet may decrease fitness, parent-absent begging should be included in future theoretical models investigating the evolution of begging displays in nestling birds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parent-absent begging in the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater): the role of short-term need and nestmate size

Rivers

2009

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…This calling rate (90 syllables per 12 s) approximates the upper range of natural begging rates for reed warbler-cuckoos and the lower range for dunnockcuckoos of 4-6 days old (see fig. 4 of Butchart et al 2003). Playback cuts were looped so that they could be repeated if the begging bout lasted longer than 12 s.…”

Section: (B) Comparison With Naturally Raised Cuckoosmentioning

confidence: 99%

A host-race difference in begging calls of nestling cuckoosCuculus canorusdevelops through experience and increases host provisioning

Madden

Davies

2006

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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The structure of common cuckoo nestling begging calls differs between the two host-races parasitizing reed warblers (reed warbler-cuckoos) and dunnocks (dunnock-cuckoos; longer syllable duration, lower peak and maximum frequency, narrower bandwidth). Cross-fostering experiments demonstrated that this difference is not genetically fixed but develops through experience. When newly hatched reed warblercuckoos were transferred to dunnock nests, they developed begging calls more like those of dunnockcuckoos, whereas controls transferred to the nests of robins or left to be raised by reed warblers developed calls more typical of reed warbler-cuckoos. We tested the effectiveness of these different calls in stimulating host provisioning by placing in host nests a single blackbird or song thrush nestling (of similar size to a young cuckoo, but lacking its exuberant begging calls); when it begged we broadcast, from a small loudspeaker on the nest rim, recordings of either dunnock-cuckoo or reed warbler-cuckoo begging calls. Playback of dunnock-cuckoo begging calls induced higher levels of provisioning by dunnocks, whereas playback of reed warbler-cuckoo begging calls did so for both reed warblers and robins. We suggest that the young cuckoo (which ejects the host's eggs/chicks and so is raised alone) learns by experience which calls best stimulate host provisioning.

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“…During the linear, most rapid phase of nestling growth, energy is required mainly for tissue synthesis, while in the plateau phase of growth, energy is predominantly consumed by tissues functioning at high intensity (e.g., heart, kidney, liver; Vézina et al 2009). Moreover, older cuckoo nestlings beg more intensely (Butchart et al 2003), and begging is presumed to be an antioxidant-demanding activity (Helfenstein et al 2008, Noguera et al 2010, Boncoraglio et al 2012. Thus it is possible that the overall energy expenditure of cuckoo nestlings increases with age, which could elevate production of ROS to a rate higher than what their antioxidant system can eliminate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Great Reed Warbler is a well-known, relatively large cuckoo host, and cuckoo nestlings develop faster and reach a greater mass at fledging in nests of this species than in nests of smaller hosts (Kleven et al 1999, Butchart et al 2003. The eggs of the cuckoo and Great Reed Warbler differ in shape and shell thickness (Hargitai et al 2010, Igic et al 2011), but their volumes are similar (Honza et al 2001, Hargitai et al 2010.…”

Section: Methods Field Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The cuckoo nestling's intensive begging behavior (Davies et al 1998, Kilner et al 1999, Butchart et al 2003 and rapid growth after the eviction period (Anderson et al 2009, Grim et al 2009b could be stimulated by the steroid hormone testosterone. Birds start to produce testosterone shortly after or even before hatching (Tanabe et al 1986, Williams et al 1987, Adkins-Regan et al 1990, Goymann et al 2005.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation in Plasma Oxidative Status and Testosterone Level in Relation to Egg-Eviction Effort and Age of Brood-Parasitic Common Cuckoo Nestlings

et al. 2012

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(2012) Variation in plasma oxidative status and testosterone level in relation to egg-eviction effort and age of brood-parasitic common cuckoo nestlings. Condor, 114 (4). pp. [782][783][784][785][786][787][788][789][790][791] Copyright © 2012 The Cooper Ornithological Society A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or chargeThe content must not be changed in any way or reproduced in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holder(s) When referring to this work, full bibliographic details must be given http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/75524/ Abstract. To avoid competition for parental care, brood-parasitic Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) nestlings evict all of the host's eggs and nestlings within a few days after hatching. Little is known about the physiological effects of eviction behavior on the cuckoo nestling's oxidative balance or about age-related variation in plasma oxidative status and testosterone level of developing birds. We examined whether the cuckoo nestling's plasma oxidative status was related to prior effort in eviction and quantified variation in the level of reactive oxygen metabolites, of nonenzymatic antioxidant capacity, and of testosterone concentration in plasma at various phases of the cuckoo's development. Levels of both reactive oxygen metabolites and antioxidant capacity were greater in older than in younger nestlings, suggesting that younger nestlings effectively counterbalance their increased production of free radicals, whereas, near fledging, levels of reactive oxygen metabolites increase despite improved antioxidant capacity. Possibly, overall energy expenditure increases with age and elevates the production of reactive oxygen species to a rate higher than what the antioxidant system could eliminate. Plasma testosterone level was the highest at nestlings' intermediate phase of growth. High levels of testosterone may be required during the period of fastest growth, and when the growth rate levels off near fledging, testosterone levels may also decline. Cuckoo chicks that evicted more host eggs from steeper nests had higher plasma levels of reactive oxygen metabolites shortly after the eviction period, suggesting that eviction is costly in terms of an increased level of oxidative stress.Key words: antioxidant capacity, brood parasitism, eviction behavior, oxidative stress, plasma testosterone. Variación en el Estatus Oxidativo del Plasma y Niveles de Testosterona en Relación al Esfuerzo de Desalojo de Huevos y Edad de los Pichones Parásitos de Nidada de Cuculus canorusResumen. Para evitar la competencia por el cuidado parental, los polluelos parásitos de nidada de Cuculus canorus desalojan todos los huevos y los polluelos del hospedador a los pocos días después de la eclosión. Se sabe poco sobre los efectos fisiológicos del comportamiento de desalojo en el balance oxidativo de los polluelos de C. canorus o sobre la variación en el estatus oxidativo del plasma y el nivel de testosterona relacionado con la e...

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Differences in the nestling begging calls of hosts and host-races of the common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus

Cited by 46 publications

References 33 publications

Parent-absent begging in the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater): the role of short-term need and nestmate size

Parent-absent begging in the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater): the role of short-term need and nestmate size

A host-race difference in begging calls of nestling cuckoosCuculus canorusdevelops through experience and increases host provisioning

Variation in Plasma Oxidative Status and Testosterone Level in Relation to Egg-Eviction Effort and Age of Brood-Parasitic Common Cuckoo Nestlings

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