Mismatched begging displays between foreign and host offspring reduce brood parasite fitness

Rivers, James W.; Blundell, Melissa A.; Rothstein, Stephen I.

doi:10.1093/beheco/aru055

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…These observations accord with prior experimental work showing that Screaming Cowbird nestlings deprived of food increase the intensity of their begging displays as deprivation time increases (Lichtenstein 2001) and are more consistent with begging effort by Screaming Cowbirds as a signal of hunger rather than need (Mock et al 2011). Nest environment may influence begging call structure if nestlings adjust their begging calls to better exploit their host's sensory preferences (Madden & Davies 2006) or in response to within-brood competition (Roulin et al 2009, Rivers et al 2014, Tuero et al 2016. In other passerine species, deprived nestlings increase call duration, bandwidth or frequency modulation as their hunger level increases (Leonard & Horn 2006, Marques et al 2008, Reers & Jacot 2011, but see Anderson et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…We observed that begging displays of Screaming Cowbird nestlings were consistently more intense at Mockingbird than at Baywing nests, as expected if parasitic nestlings adjust their signalling in each host species according to hunger level or the perceived level of within-brood competition. Studies in other cowbird species suggest an effect of nest environment on certain aspects of begging behaviour independently of short-term need (Rivers et al 2014, Tuero et al 2016. Such overall increase in begging intensity in crossfostered Screaming Cowbird nestlings could help explain the differences in minimum frequency and Latency ( bandwidth between them and Baywing-reared nestlings by the age of 8-10 days.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Interestingly, however, adult Baywings responded similarly to begging calls of cross-fostered and Baywing-reared Screaming Cowbird nestlings, suggesting that the acoustic cues for offspring recognition remained unaffected despite the observed differences in call structure. Studies in other cowbird species suggest an effect of nest environment on certain aspects of begging behaviour independently of short-term need (Rivers et al 2014, Tuero et al 2016. Nest environment may influence begging call structure if nestlings adjust their begging calls to better exploit their host's sensory preferences (Madden & Davies 2006) or in response to within-brood competition (Roulin et al 2009, Rivers et al 2014, Tuero et al 2016.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies in other cowbird species suggest an effect of nest environment on certain aspects of begging behaviour independently of short-term need (Rivers et al 2014, Tuero et al 2016. Nest environment may influence begging call structure if nestlings adjust their begging calls to better exploit their host's sensory preferences (Madden & Davies 2006) or in response to within-brood competition (Roulin et al 2009, Rivers et al 2014, Tuero et al 2016. Further studies comparing the effect of begging calls of Mockingbird-reared vs. Baywing-reared Screaming Cowbird nestlings on Mockingbird provisioning behaviour would be useful to evaluate whether parasite nestlings vary their begging calls to make them more profitable in any given host.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is well known that young brood parasites can manipulate host parental behaviour effectively via their begging calls, for example by calling faster and louder than host young or by including in their begging calls acoustic features that better stimulate host provisioning (Kilner et al 1999, Madden & Davies 2006, Gloag & Kacelnik 2013, Rivers et al 2014). In addition to call rate and amplitude, the acoustic structure of parasite begging calls itself may influence host behaviour.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Innate development of acoustic signals for host parent–offspring recognition in the brood‐parasitic Screaming CowbirdMolothrus rufoaxillaris

Ripari

Ursino

Reboreda

et al. 2018

Ibis

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Young birds communicate their need to parents through complex begging displays that include visual and acoustic cues. Nestlings of interspecific brood parasites must ‘tune’ into these communication channels to secure parental care from their hosts. Various studies show that parasitic nestlings can effectively manipulate host parental behaviour through their begging calls, but how these manipulative acoustic signals develop in growing parasites remains poorly understood. We investigated the influence of social experience on begging call development in a host‐specialist brood parasite, the Screaming Cowbird Molothrus rufoaxillaris. Screaming Cowbird nestlings look and sound similar to those of the primary host, the Greyish Baywing Agelaioides badius. This resemblance is likely to be adaptive because Baywings discriminate against fledglings unlike their own and provision nests at higher rates in response to Baywing‐like begging calls than to non‐mimetic begging calls. By means of cross‐fostering and playback experiments, we tested whether the acoustic cues that elicit recognition by Baywings develop innately in Screaming Cowbird nestlings or are acquired through social experience with host parents or nest mates. Our results suggest that begging call structure was partially modulated by experience because Baywing‐reared Screaming Cowbird and host nestlings were acoustically more similar as age increased, whereas acoustic similarity between cross‐fostered and Baywing‐reared Screaming Cowbird nestlings decreased from 4–5 to 8–10 days of age. Cross‐fostered Screaming Cowbirds developed begging calls of lower minimum frequency and broader bandwidth than those of Baywing‐reared Screaming Cowbirds by the age of 8–10 days. Despite the observed differences in begging call structure, however, adult Baywings responded similarly to begging calls of 8‐ to 10‐day‐old cross‐fostered and Baywing‐reared Screaming Cowbirds, suggesting that these were functionally equivalent from the host's perspective. These findings support the idea that, although rearing environment can influence certain begging call parameters, the acoustic cues that serve for offspring recognition by Baywings develop in young Screaming Cowbirds independently of social experience.

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