Rejection of parasitic eggs in passerine hosts: Size matters more for a non-ejecter

Guigueno, Mélanie F.; Sealy, Spencer G.; Westphal, Ashleigh M.

doi:10.1642/auk-14-36.1

Cited by 23 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…The eggshells of avian brood parasites generate multimodal and multicomponent recognition cues, with both tactile (size, shape, and texture) and visual (size, shape, color, and maculation) modalities potentially involved in egg perception and discrimination by hosts (Hanley et al., 2019; Honza & Cherry, 2017; Moskát, Székely, Cuthill, & Kisbenedek, 2008). However, the relative contribution of egg size and eggshell traits (i.e., color and maculation) on egg recognition by hosts and/or rejection exhibited large variations across different brood parasitic species and systems (Guigueno, Sealy, & Westphal, 2014; Segura, Di Sallo, Mahler, & Reboreda, 2016; see reviews in Honza & Cherry, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting effects of egg size and appearance on egg recognition and rejection response by Oriental reed warblers

Zhang

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting effects of egg size and appearance on egg recognition and rejection response by Oriental reed warblers

Zhang

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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“…We designed an experimental study in which we filmed egg‐rejection behaviour in parasitized nests and also a control group in which we installed the camera but did not introduce any experimental egg. In the experimental groups, we manipulated the two characteristics affecting nest desertion: the level of mimicry (at least for human vision), as Davies and Brooke () found, blackbirds should desert more frequently nests parasitized with non‐mimetic than nests parasitized with mimetic eggs (prediction 1); and egg size (Marchetti , Guigueno et al ), given that large eggs would be more difficult and costly to eject and so that they would be more prone to provoke nest desertion (prediction 2). Our experimental manipulations enabled us to test another three more specific predictions.…”

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confidence: 99%

Nest desertion cannot be considered an egg‐rejection mechanism in a medium‐sized host: an experimental study with the common blackbirdTurdus merula

Soler¹,

Ruiz-Raya

Roncalli

et al. 2015

Journal of Avian Biology

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Two main mechanisms of egg rejection, the main defence of hosts against brood parasites, have been described: ejection and desertion. Desertion of the parasitized nest is much more costly and is usually exhibited by small-sized host species unable to remove the parasitic egg. However, nest desertion is frequently assumed to be an anti-parasite strategy even in medium or large-sized host species. Th is assumption should be considered with caution because: 1) large-sized hosts able to eject the parasitic egg should eject it rather than desert the nest, and 2) breeding birds may desert their nests in response to diff erent disturbances other than brood parasitism. Th is problem is especially important in the common blackbird Turdus merula because this is a medium-sized species, potential host of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus , in which desertion has been frequently reported as a response to cuckoo egg models. Here, we seek to determine whether nest desertion can be considered a response unequivocally directed to the parasitic egg in medium-sized hosts using the blackbird as the study species. In an experimental study in which we have manipulated levels of mimicry and size of experimental eggs, we have found that both colour (mimetic and non-mimetic; at least for human vision) and size (small, medium, and large) signifi cantly aff ected ejection rates but not nest desertion rates. In fact, although large eggs disproportionally provoked nest desertion more frequently than did small or medium-sized eggs, cuckoo-sized parasitic eggs were not deserted allowing us to conclude that desertion is unlikely to be an adaptive response to brood parasitism at least for this species.

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“…Studies using plaster-cast eggs found that robins mostly accept cowbird-sized eggs if they are painted to resemble robin egg colour but reject them if painted to resemble cowbird egg background colour and maculation patterns ( Rothstein, 1982 ; Croston & Hauber, 2014 ; Kuehn, Peer & Rothstein, 2014 ; Lang, Bollinger & Peer, 2014 ). However, cowbird eggs vary greatly in size and shape (18–25 mm length × 15–18 mm breadth; Lowther, 1993 ), and size can be an important cue for recognition of parasitic eggs by hosts, along with colour ( Guigueno, Sealy & Westphal, 2014 ; Mason & Rothstein, 1986 ). By placing plaster eggs that varied in size (robin or cowbird egg size), colour (blue–green or white), and maculation pattern into the nests of robins, Rothstein (1982) showed that robins use all three cues in rejection decisions, but are in general more likely to reject eggs if they differ from robin eggs in at least two of these parameters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using 3D printed eggs to examine the egg-rejection behaviour of wild birds

Igic

Nunez

Voss

et al. 2015

PeerJ

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The coevolutionary relationships between brood parasites and their hosts are often studied by examining the egg rejection behaviour of host species using artificial eggs. However, the traditional methods for producing artificial eggs out of plasticine, plastic, wood, or plaster-of-Paris are laborious, imprecise, and prone to human error. As an alternative, 3D printing may reduce human error, enable more precise manipulation of egg size and shape, and provide a more accurate and replicable protocol for generating artificial stimuli than traditional methods. However, the usefulness of 3D printing technology for egg rejection research remains to be tested. Here, we applied 3D printing technology to the extensively studied egg rejection behaviour of American robins, Turdus migratorius. Eggs of the robin’s brood parasites, brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater, vary greatly in size and shape, but it is unknown whether host egg rejection decisions differ across this gradient of natural variation. We printed artificial eggs that encompass the natural range of shapes and sizes of cowbird eggs, painted them to resemble either robin or cowbird egg colour, and used them to artificially parasitize nests of breeding wild robins. In line with previous studies, we show that robins accept mimetically coloured and reject non-mimetically coloured artificial eggs. Although we found no evidence that subtle differences in parasitic egg size or shape affect robins’ rejection decisions, 3D printing will provide an opportunity for more extensive experimentation on the potential biological or evolutionary significance of size and shape variation of foreign eggs in rejection decisions. We provide a detailed protocol for generating 3D printed eggs using either personal 3D printers or commercial printing services, and highlight additional potential future applications for this technology in the study of egg rejection.

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Rejection of parasitic eggs in passerine hosts: Size matters more for a non-ejecter

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 23 publications

References 53 publications

Contrasting effects of egg size and appearance on egg recognition and rejection response by Oriental reed warblers

Contrasting effects of egg size and appearance on egg recognition and rejection response by Oriental reed warblers

Nest desertion cannot be considered an egg‐rejection mechanism in a medium‐sized host: an experimental study with the common blackbirdTurdus merula

Using 3D printed eggs to examine the egg-rejection behaviour of wild birds

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