Superb Fairy-wrens (<i>Malurus cyaneus</i>) increase vigilance near their nest with the perceived risk of brood parasitism

Feeney, William E.; Langmore, Naomi E.

doi:10.1642/auk-14-218.1

Cited by 20 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 41 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Therefore, it is hypothesized that eavesdropping on heterospecific referential alarm calls that signal brood parasitic threats should evolve. Prior work has identified parasite-specific alarm calls in diverse host-parasite systems 29,31 , and as predicted, the first evidence for heterospecific recognition of these calls was recently described across two species of congeneric Acrocephalus reed warbler hosts of the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) that use acoustically similar calls to signal the parasite's presence 32 . However, none of these calls fit the full definition of referential alarm calls, as their elicited responses include general recruitment and mobbing, but not specifically anti-parasitic defenses.…”

mentioning

confidence: 65%

“…In turn, threats to nests include both nest predators that depredate eggs and nestlings, and brood parasites that forgo nest building and instead lay their eggs in the nests of others, leaving the host adults to care for the foreign egg(s) and chick(s) 25 . To protect the nest from these threats, many species act aggressively toward both predatory and parasitic intruders within their territories/near their nests [26][27][28][29] .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Heterospecific eavesdropping on an anti-parasitic referential alarm call

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Referential alarm calls occur across taxa to warn of specific predator types. However, referential calls may also denote other types of dangers. Yellow warblers (Setophaga petechia) produce "seet" calls specifically to warn conspecifics of obligate brood parasitic brownheaded cowbirds (Molothrus ater), which lay their eggs in the warblers' and other species' nests. Sympatric hosts of cowbirds that do not have referential alarm calls may eavesdrop on the yellow warbler's seet call as a warning system for brood parasites. Using playback presentations, we found that red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) eavesdrop on seet calls of yellow warblers, and respond as much to seet calls as to cowbird chatters and predator calls. Red-winged blackbirds appear to eavesdrop on seets as warning system to boost frontline defenses on their territories, although they do not seem to perceive the warblers' seets as a cue for parasitism per se, but rather for general danger to the nest.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 65%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Heterospecific eavesdropping on an anti-parasitic referential alarm call

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Aggressive mimicry is a commonly employed form of deception in avian brood parasites, and may be more common in adults than is currently appreciated. Brood parasites that usurp the entire parental effort of their host rely heavily on deception for host manipulation [ 3 ]: detection of an adult parasite can result in increased rates of nest vigilance [ 53 , 54 ], mobbing [ 34 ], egg rejection [ 12 , 13 ] and chick rejection [ 55 ] by the host. Brood parasites can decrease the likelihood of being detected by behaving cryptically [ 56 ] or looking dangerous (Batesian mimicry; [ 57 ]), and possibly through looking cryptic [ 15 ] or looking harmless (this study).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for aggressive mimicry in an adult brood parasitic bird, and generalized defences in its host

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mimicry of a harmless model (aggressive mimicry) is used by egg, chick and fledgling brood parasites that resemble the host's own eggs, chicks and fledglings. However, aggressive mimicry may also evolve in adult brood parasites, to avoid attack from hosts and/or manipulate their perception of parasitism risk. We tested the hypothesis that female cuckoo finches (Anomalospiza imberbis) are aggressive mimics of female Euplectes weavers, such as the harmless, abundant and sympatric southern red bishop (Euplectes orix). We show that female cuckoo finch plumage colour and pattern more closely resembled those of Euplectes weavers (putative models) than Vidua finches (closest relatives); that their tawny-flanked prinia (Prinia subflava) hosts were equally aggressive towards female cuckoo finches and southern red bishops, and more aggressive to both than to their male counterparts; and that prinias were equally likely to reject an egg after seeing a female cuckoo finch or bishop, and more likely to do so than after seeing a male bishop near their nest. This is, to our knowledge, the first quantitative evidence for aggressive mimicry in an adult bird, and suggests that host–parasite coevolution can select for aggressive mimicry by avian brood parasites, and counter-defences by hosts, at all stages of the reproductive cycle.

show abstract

“…Therefore, the mechanisms underlying specific defensive responses to external cues cannot be properly understood in isolation from these variables. For example, recent work has demonstrated that superb fairy-wrens increase nest vigilance after seeing a brood-parasitical Horsfield’s bronze cuckoo near their nest (but not a harmless white-plumed honeyeater; Feeney & Langmore, 2015). However, nest attendance can attract predators, and therefore the wrens face competing threats (Davies & Brooke, 1988; Feeney & Langmore, 2015).…”

Section: The Means Of Threat Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety: Here and Beyond

Miloyan

Bulley²,

Suddendorf

2018

Emotion Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The future harbours the potential for myriad threats to the fitness of organisms, and many species prepare accordingly based on indicators of hazards. Here, we distinguish between defensive responses on the basis of sensed cues and those based on autocues generated by mental simulations of the future in humans. Whereas sensed threat cues usually induce specific responses with reference to particular features of the environment or generalized responses to protect against diffuse threats, autocues generated by mental simulations of the future enable strategic preparation for hazards that may not require an immediate response. The overlap of these mechanisms makes defence effective and versatile, yet can manifest as contemporary anxiety disorders in humans.

show abstract

Superb Fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) increase vigilance near their nest with the perceived risk of brood parasitism

Cited by 20 publications

References 41 publications

Heterospecific eavesdropping on an anti-parasitic referential alarm call

Heterospecific eavesdropping on an anti-parasitic referential alarm call

Evidence for aggressive mimicry in an adult brood parasitic bird, and generalized defences in its host

Anxiety: Here and Beyond

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About