Interspecific brood parasitism in galliform birds

Abstract

Mode of development in birds helps determine the form of brood parasitism a species exhibits. Most knowledge of precocial brood parasites comes from a single avian family, the waterfowl (Anatidae: Anseriformes). Here we review cases of interspecific brood parasitism (IBP) in a second group of precocial birds, the order Galliformes. IBP is uncommon but taxonomically widespread, occurring in at least 11 species and in four of five galliform families. By far the most common brood parasite is the Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus. Hosts were generally other ground-nesting precocial species. It is unclear whether the absence of IBP in the Cracidae (Guans, Curassows, and Chachalacas) is due to the paucity of research on tropical gamebirds or because tropical birds such as the Cracidae may be less likely to practise IBP. Galliform birds mirror the trend found in ducks in which virtually all species that parasitize heterospecifics are also conspecific brood parasites (CBP). This association supports the hypothesis that IBP as an adaptive tactic or strategy may evolve from CBP. Alternatively, or additionally, egg-dumping may represent reproductive error on the part of females, such that concordance between CBP and IBP could be a byproduct of having sufficient knowledge of breeding biology only for a subset of galliform species.

Facultative interspecific brood parasitism in tits: a last resort to coping with nest-hole shortage

“…This is despite reports of facultative IBP from insects (Field 1992;Cervo 2006) or birds like Anseriformes (Lyon and Eadie 1991) or Galliformes (Krakauer and Kimball 2009). Previous works in birds have focused on the phylogenetic origin and evolution of facultative IBP.…”

Occurrence of Common QuailCoturnix coturnixeggs in Red‐legged PartridgeAlectoris rufanests

“…In this species, intraspecific nest parasitism has been previously reported (Yom-Tov 2001;Rodríguez-Teijeiro et al 2003), suggesting that as in other anseriformes and galliformes, interspecific brood parasitism is strongly associated with intraspecific brood parasitism (Krakauer & Kimball 2009). Red-legged Partridge nests are vulnerable to interspecfic egg-dumping since intraspecific brood parasitism occurs frequently in this species (Casas et al 2006).…”

“…Our study documented for the first time interspecific nest parasitism between Red-legged Partridges and Common Quail, with a relatively low occurrence. It adds to the body of evidence that both intra-and interspecific nest parasitism occurs frequently in the galliformes (Krakauer & Kimball 2009), although interspecific nest parasitism appears rarer than intraspecific parasitism.…”

“…While intraspecific nest parasitism appears to be frequent in galliformes (Yom-Tov 2001), interspecific nest parasitism -whereby a species lays eggs in the nest of another species -has rarely been documented (cases were reported in 11 out of the 281 Galliformes species [Krakauer & Kimball 2009 and references there in]). Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa and Common Quail Coturnix coturnix are galliformes, whose breeding distributions overlap in Spain (Martí & Del Moral 2003) where they share the same habitat type (agricultural landscapes) (Del Hoyo et al 1994).…”

A siblicidal origin for avian brood parasitism?

“…Brood parasitism has evolved independently in a range of taxa, including insects, fishes and birds, under a wide range of conditions and with diverse natural histories (Johnson et al 2005;Dierkes et al 1999;Yom-Tov and Geffen 2006;Kilner and Langmore 2011). A variety of ecological factors (e.g., Krüger and Davies 2002;Yom-Tov and Geffen 2006;Krakauer and Kimball 2009) influence the evolutionary transitions from providing full parental care to completely withholding it, as seen in the handful of obligate avian brood parasites, which comprise less than 1 % of all bird species (Cockburn 2006). Specifically, expansion into new habitats with limited or irregularly distributed nesting and foraging resources (Krüger and Davies 2002), as well nestmate killing (siblicide) resulting in brood reduction and competitive advantage to surviving siblicidal offspring (Wang and Kimball 2012), have been proposed as ecological precursors for the evolution of avian brood parasitism.…”