The comparative breeding behaviour of two sympatric cuckoos, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalts and the Shining Bronze-Cuckoo C. lucidus, in Western Australia: a new model for the evolution of egg morphology and host specificity in avian brood parasites

The breeding behaviour of two similarly sized sympatric cuckoos, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalts and the Shining Bronze-Cuckoo C. lucidus, was studied over four breeding seasons at Gooseberry Hill, Western Australia. Both cuckoos usually began laying in late August; Shining Bronze-Cuckoos laid for up to 13 weeks and Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoos for up to 15 weeks. Four host species were parasitized and major hosts were parasitized throughout most of their laying periods. The frequency of parasitism varied between hosts and between years, but Splendid Fairy-wrens Malurus splendens and Yellow-rumped Thornbills Acanthiza chrysorrhoa (major hosts) were always parasitized more heavily than Western Thornbills A. inornata and Scarlet Robins Petroica multicolor. Western Thornbills were parasitized by both cuckoos. Horsfield's and Shining Bronze-Cuckoos laid monomorphic eggs; those of Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoos were highly mimetic whereas those of Shining Bronze-Cuckoos were non-mimetic and dark in colour. Both cuckoos laid one egg per host nest, deposited eggs directly into the nest, laid very quickly in the early morning, removed at least one host egg at laying, laid eggs small for the size of the birds, hatched after 12 days and evicted nest companions shortly after hatching. Laying was well synchronized with the start of incubation by hosts. Field observations and experiments with egg models indicated that neither of the major hosts, nor the secondary host in common, discriminate against foreign eggs. The nestling period for Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo was 17 days, and for the Shining Bronze-Cuckoo 20 days. There was a corresponding difference in nestling growth rate between the cuckoo species. About 50% of cuckoo eggs produced fledglings. Reproductive success for both cuckoos was highest in nests of the secondary host in common, the Western Thornbill. Young cuckoos reached independence 5–6 weeks after hatching. The adaptive significance of competition between cuckoos as a selective agent for cuckoo egg morphology and host specificity is discussed.     

BREEDING OF THE GREY WARBLER GERYGONE IGATA AT KAIKOURA, NEW ZEALAND

I studied the breeding of Grey Warblers Gerygone igata (Muscicapidae: Acanthizinae) in forest near Kaikoura, New Zealand, between 1976 and 1979. Only males sang and singing occurred all year. From late July to January pairs defended self-contained territories of 0·25–1·73 ha but they occupied larger home ranges when not breeding. Territorial adults were strictly sedentary all year. The average annual mortality of breeding adults was 18·5% and the predicted life-expectancy 4·9 years, which is remarkable in a bird weighing 6–7 g. The breeding season from first building to last fledging was six months long and it began early. Exceptionally, Grey Warblers may build and lay before the shortest day. As the season progressed warblers nested lower on average, both in absolute terms and relative to the tree nested in and canopy at the site. Warblers built in 7–27 days then delayed up to eight days before laying. Only females built and at no stage of breeding did males feed their mates. Both sexes fed the young. Grey Warblers laid for 15–16 weeks of the year and first clutches were laid asynchronously during 5–6 weeks. Eggs of a clutch appeared at two-day intervals and each egg weighed 1·5 g when fresh (23% of mean adult weight). Clutch size was nearly constant (mean 3·9, mode 4, range 3–5). The incubation period was 17–21 days (mean 19·5 days) and the nestling period 15–19 days (mean 17·2 days). On average the clutch hatched over 1·4 days, even though incubation commenced with the laying of the last egg. Nestlings reached maximum weight on Days 13–14 on average and then receded in weight by 4%, apparently through loss of water. All healthy nestlings exceeded mean adult weight during development by up to 39%. Nestlings from broods of two were at first lighter on average than those from larger broods, but in the second half of the nestling period twins were significantly the heaviest. Grey Warblers were fed for 28–35 days after fledging and they survived well while dependent on parents. Fledglings dispersed up to 3 km or more at independence and only 5% per annum joined the breeding population. Of nests that received eggs, 42% produced at least one fledgling. On average each breeding adult raised 2·0 fledglings per season. Of 265 eggs in 73 nests 70% hatched and 38% produced fledglings. Of 185 nestlings 54% fledged. Probably the main cause of mortality of eggs and nestlings was predation by introduced rodents and mustelids. Grey Warblers raise two small broods slowly during a long breeding season, rather than investing in one large quickly-reared brood. In New Zealand's mild climate the warbler's food supply may not decline severely in winter, and the population of warblers may remain so close to the limit set by food that extra for breeding is hard to obtain. Thus the breeding strategy may be adapted to a restricted food supply.     

A comparative study of host selection in the European cuckoo Cuculus canorus

Certain kinds of hosts are commonly regarded as being more suitable than other for rearing European cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) – insectivores that lay small eggs and have open, shallow nests – although empirical tests of cuckoo host selection are lacking. We analysed host use by the European cuckoo in 72 British passerines that are potential hosts and for which there was information available on life-history variables and variables related to cuckoo-host coevolution, such as rate of parasitism, rejection rate of non-mimetic model eggs and degree of cuckoo-egg mimicry of host eggs. The relative population size of the host species affected parasitism rate most strongly, followed by relatively short duration of the nestling period, and the kind of nest, with cuckoos selecting open-nesting hosts. However, the effect of the nestling period could be related to host body size and the kind of nest used, because hole-nesting species normally have longer nestling periods than open-nesters. We re-analysed the data excluding hole nesters and corvid species (species with larger body mass), but the results remained identical. The European cuckoo may benefit from selecting hosts with short nestling periods because such hosts provide food for their nestlings at a very high rate. When only those species known as cuckoo hosts were analysed, the variable that best accounted for the parasitism rate was duration of the breeding season. Therefore, availability of potential hosts in both time and space is important for cuckoos in selecting hosts. Received: 16 July 1998 / Accepted: 27 October 1998     

Responses of great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus to experimental brood parasitism: the effects of a cuckoo Cuculus canorus dummy and egg mimicry

Egg rejection behaviour towards parasitic eggs was studied in a great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus population in central Hungary, which was heavily (about 65%) parasitised by the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus . Clutches were experimentally parasitised during the egg-laying period with artificial, moderately mimetic cuckoo eggs or with conspecific eggs that were good mimics of the hosts' eggs. Great reed warblers rejected 76.2% of the artificial cuckoo eggs, mainly by ejection, but accepted most of the conspecific eggs (87.5%). Cuckoo eggs in naturally parasitised clutches were rejected at a lower rate (32%). When, in addition to the egg mimicry experiments, a stuffed cuckoo was placed near the nest, accompanied by the recording of a female cuckoo call, hosts' rejection rate of the artificial cuckoo egg increased from 76% to 96%. The sight of the cuckoo, on the other hand, did not influence host's rejection behaviour when a conspecific egg was used in the experiment. A stuffed collared dove Streptopelia decaocto , accompanied by its call, was used as a control, and did not cause any increased rejection. Great reed warblers were more aggressive towards the cuckoo than to the dove dummy. When the cuckoo eggs in naturally parasitised clutches were exchanged with artificial cuckoo eggs, we observed no increase in the rejection rate. We conclude that great reed warblers in our heavily parasitised population are capable of detecting brood parasitism in their clutch by identifying the parasitic egg. The efficiency of this identification depends mainly on the mimicry of the foreign egg. The sight of the cuckoo at the nest may increase rejection rate by stimulus summation, and this conditional effect is mainly affected by the degree of mimicry of the parasitic egg.     

The common cuckoo Cuculus canorus and its cavity nesting host, the redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus: a peculiar cuckoo-host system?

We examined redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus populations over a period of fifteen years to study interactions between the cuckoo Cuculus canorus and its cavity-nesting host. Over 380 redstart nests were checked and more than 100 cuckoo eggs were found during the study period. The average parasitism rate was 20%. The cuckoos' breeding success was extremely low, only 18 chicks surviving to the fledgling stage. When redstarts were parasitized experimentally with artificial cuckoo eggs, they rejected eight percent of mimetic eggs and 44% of non-mimetic eggs. We were not able to record any rejection of the real cuckoo eggs. However, about 30% of the real cuckoo eggs were found outside the redstart's nest cup. This could be the result of laying failures by the cuckoo, rather than of a strong rejection behaviour by the redstart. We suggest that redstarts' cavity nesting itself was a factor that reduced the cost of the parasitism dramatically. Firstly, it makes it difficult for the female cuckoo to lay her egg correctly in the nest and secondly, it is more difficult for the cuckoo chick to evict the host's eggs or nestlings effectively from the nest. Only 54% of the cuckoo chicks were able to evict all the host eggs or chicks from the nest. When reared in mixed broods, cuckoo chicks survived only in every second case to fledgling age, while at least one redstart chick from every brood managed to leave the nest.     

Breeding success of common cuckoos Cuculus canorus parasitising four sympatric species of Acrocephalus warblers

We investigated the level of parasitism, egg mimicry and breeding success of cuckoos parasitising four sympatric species of Acrocephalus warblers in southern Moravia, Czech Republic. The parasitism rate was highest in the marsh warbler Acrocephalus palustris (44.8%) followed by great reed warbler A. arundinaceus (33.8%), sedge warbler A. schoenobaenus (26.5%) and reed warbler A. scirpaceus (11.6%). Although the cuckoo eggs showed a high level of mimicry the eggs of the marsh warbler this host species rejected 72% of the cuckoo eggs, resulting in a cuckoo breeding success of only 4.3%. Cuckoo eggs laid in great reed warbler and reed warbler nests showed a similar hatching success, but the cuckoo chicks survived better in great reed warbler nests, resulting in a breeding success of 30.4%, as compared to 16.4% in nests of the reed warbler. The relationship between the level of parasitism, host rejection of cuckoo eggs, cuckoo chick survival and breeding success is discussed for the four host species.     

Intraspecific nest parasitism in the grey starling (Sturnus cineraceus)

We studied intraspecific nest parasitism in the grey starling (Sturnus cineraceus) in 1992 and 1993. We used three criteria to detect nest parasitism: (i) the appearance of more than one egg per day while the host was laying; (ii) the appearance of extra eggs after the host completed its clutch; and (iii) the appearance of eggs which were of a different shape, size and color to other eggs in the clutch. There were 290 nests (157 nests in 1992; 133 nests in 1993) in which the clutch was completed early (clutches initiated before May 10). Twenty-nine (1992) and 32 (1993) nests contained at least one parasitic egg. Parasitic eggs hatched if they were laid during the laying period and early in the incubation period of their host, and a few of them fledged. Fledging success of parasitic eggs was not different from that of eggs in non-parasitized nests if parasitic eggs were laid during the host's laying period. However, fledging success of all parasitic eggs was fewer than that of eggs in non-parasitized nests. By comparison, fledging success of parasitized nests was not a great as that of non-parasitized nests.     

Intraspecific nest parasitism in the Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor

Intraspecific nest parasitism in two colonies of Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor breeding in nestboxes was studied in central Spain from 1991 to 1994. Nests were monitored regularly and three criteria were used to detect nest parasitism: the appearance of more than one egg per day during the laying period of the host; the appearance of an egg after the start of incubation; eggs with unusual shape or pigmentation. The proportion of parasitized nests in first clutches (37%) was twice that of intermediate (19%) or second (20%) clutches in colony B, whereas parasitism occurred in first (35%) and intermediate (12%) but not in second clutches in colony A. Most clutches (52–70%) were parasitized during the host's laying period and received one parasitic egg. In 10% of the parasitized clutches in colony B, one of the host's eggs disappeared on the day the parasitic egg was added, suggesting that the parasitic female removed this egg. Although parasitism increased clutch size significantly, it led to a decrease in host breeding success, mainly through the removal of eggs and the loss of host nestlings and the survival of parasitic chicks. Observations suggested that parasitic females were young individuals without their own nests and/or those whose breeding attempt had been disrupted while laying in their own nest.     

以鸟类视觉模型揭示中杜鹃对冠纹柳莺的卵色模拟(英文)

于2009年4—7月,采用光谱仪量化卵色和建立鸟类视觉模型的方法,在贵州宽阔水自然保护区对中杜鹃(Cuculus saturatus)寄生冠纹柳莺(Phylloscopus reguloides)的卵色模拟进行了研究。中杜鹃产白色卵带极少数而微小的棕色斑,明显大于宿主卵,重2.06g,体积1.91cm3。从人眼看,中杜鹃卵对宿主卵在很大程度上是模拟的,但视觉模型表明,两者的卵色在色调和色度上都完全分离,揭示了人眼探测不到的卵色模拟情况。该文首次对中杜鹃的雏鸟特征进行描述,在4日龄以后雏鸟嘴裂中出现三角形黑斑,并随着日龄的增长而更加明显,这种特征在霍氏中杜鹃(C.optatus)的雏鸟中也存在,但未见于其他种类的杜鹃雏鸟。     

THE OCCURRENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF ANOMALOUS REPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES IN TWO NORTH AMERICAN NON-PARASITIC CUCKOOS COCCYZUS SPP.

Among the unusual breeding habits of the non-parasitic Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos of North America are great variability in clutch size and rate of laying, initiation of incubation long before the clutch is complete, occasional laying in nests of other species, annual irregularity in the timing of the breeding season, and semi-nomadic post-migratory movements into breeding areas where food is abundant. These facts, in addition to their peculiar diet and the very large size of their eggs, suggest that cuckoos have extraordinary problems in obtaining adequate energy for reproduction. At Bloomington, Indiana (U.S.A.), during a 15-year period, anomalies in the reproductive activities of cuckoos were concentrated into two years in which food was abundant. This was particularly true of one of these years, when there was a vast emergence of periodical cicadas: the Yellow-billed Cuckoo advanced its normal schedule and bred during peak cicada abundance, laid unusually large clutches, and parasitized Black-billed Cuckoo nests. Some females may have resumed laying in nests in which, having already deposited clutches of normal size, they had been incubating for long periods; the alternative possibility is that there was intraspecific brood parasitism. The erratic egg-laying behaviour of these cuckoos is attributed to the evolution of mechanisms permitting very quick exploitation of a favourable feeding situation. It is suggested that reproductive behaviour has become so responsive to an abundance of food that normal ordering and integration of the stages of breeding have been lost in some females. Such a loss could be responsible for the laying of eggs in alien nests, and it may have been the antecedent of obligate brood parasitism in parasitic cuckoo species.     

Cuckoo parasitism in a cavity nesting host: near absent egg‐rejection in a northern redstart population under heavy apparent (but low effective) brood parasitism

Brood parasite – host systems continue to offer insights into species coevolution. A notable system is the redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus parasitized by the ‘redstart‐cuckoo’ Cuculus canorus gens. Redstarts are the only regular cuckoo hosts that breed in cavities, which challenges adult cuckoos in egg laying and cuckoo chicks in host eviction. We investigated parasitism in this system and found high overall parasitism rates (31.1% of 360 redstart nests), but also that only 33.1% of parasitism events (49 of 148 eggs) were successful in laying eggs into redstart nest cups. The majority of cuckoo eggs were mislaid and found on the rim of the nest; outside the nest cup. All available evidence suggests these eggs were not ejected by hosts. The effective parasitism rate was therefore only 12.8% of redstart nests. Redstarts responded to natural parasitism by deserting their nests in 13.0% of cases, compared to desertion rates of 2.8% for non‐parasitized nests. Our egg parasitism experiments found low rates (12.2%) of rejection of artificial non‐mimetic cuckoo eggs. Artificial mimetic and real cuckoo eggs added to nests were rejected at even lower rates, and were always rejected via desertion. Under natural conditions, only 21 cuckoo chicks fledged of 150 cuckoo eggs laid. Adding to this low success, is that cuckoo chicks are sometimes unable to evict all host young, and were more likely to die as a result compared to cuckoo chicks reared alone. This low success seems to be mainly due to the cavity nesting strategy of the redstart which is a challenging obstacle for the cuckoo. The redstart‐cuckoo system appears to be a fruitful model system and we suggest much more emphasis should be placed on frontline defences such as nest site selection strategies when investigating brood parasite–host coevolution.     

Conspecific nest parasitism in the Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

Evidence for the occurrence of conspecific nest parasitism (CNP) in Pied Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta is presented. Clutches of more than four eggs had obviously been produced by more than one female but were incubated by only one pair each. Minimum estimates for the frequencies of parasitized clutches and parasitic eggs were 3.3% and 1.3% respectively. CNP increased in frequency in colonies with higher nest densities. The frequency of CNP was unaffected by the rate of nest failures early in the season. On average, parasitic eggs were laid earlier in the season than the majority of non-parasitic eggs. Parasitic Avocets usually deposited their eggs during the laying period of host nests. Parasitized nests had significantly longer incubation periods than unparasitized nests. Hatching success in supernormal clutches was insignificantly reduced compared with four-egg clutches. The annual breeding success of individuals with parasitized clutches was considerably (but not significantly) higher than those of non-parasitized individuals. This was probably due to the fact that parasites chose to deposit their eggs in dense colonies whose members had significantly higher breeding success than the individuals in loose colonies. In colonies with a high rate of CNP, the frequency of clutches of more than five eggs increased. These clutches had little chance of survival.     

Behaviour of female common cuckoos, Cuculus canorus, in the vicinity of host nests before and during egg laying: a radiotelemetry study

We radiotracked 13 common cuckoo females in the southeastern part of the Czech Republic. Seven females laid eggs in the nests of reed warblers, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, sedge warblers, A. schoenobaenus, and marsh warblers, A. palustris. We observed 53 nest visits, of which 26 involved egg laying. Cuckoos spent significantly more time within 50 m of the host nest on the laying day than on the 5 prelaying days. The vantage point used when parasitizing or visiting a nest was on average four times further from the nest than the closest possible vantage point, but there was a positive correlation between these two distances. Cuckoos spent on average 20 min observing host nests from their vantage points before they visited a nest. Comparison of cuckoos' visits to host nests with and without egg laying revealed no significant differences in the duration of visits or in other measures of behaviour. There was significant variation in behaviour between cuckoos, particularly in the time of day when eggs were laid in host nests. This variation can be attributed to the strong, but not absolute, host and habitat specificity of individuals. Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.     

Are blackcaps current winners in the evolutionary struggle against the common cuckoo?

Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla reject artificial cuckoo eggs, and their eggs vary little in appearance within clutches, whereas among clutches eggs vary considerably. Low variation within clutches facilitates discrimination of parasitic eggs, whereas high variation among clutches makes it harder for the cuckoo to mimic the eggs of a certain host species. These traits have most probably evolved as counteradaptations against brood parasitism by the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, even though blackcaps are not regularly parasitised today. In this study, we investigated how fine-tuned the rejection of parasitic eggs is in this species by introducing three types of eggs into their nests: a real non-mimetic egg the approximate size of a cuckoo egg, an artificial mimetic egg the size of a cuckoo egg and a real conspecific egg. As the rejection frequency of both mimetic and non-mimetic artificial cuckoo eggs has been shown to be high in previous studies, the variation in rejection behaviour between individuals is low, indicating that most individuals within the population are able to reject parasitic eggs. Thus, we predict that (1) the intraclutch variation in egg appearance should be generally low in all individuals, and that (2) regarding conspecific eggs, rejection decisions should be highly dependent on the degree of mimicry between parasitic and host eggs. We found support for these predictions, which indicates that due to their highly sophisticated countermeasures against brood parasitism, blackcaps can probably be regarded as current winners of the arms race with the common cuckoo. Furthermore, the high and consistent rejection frequency of cuckoo eggs found throughout Europe for this species supports the spatial habitat structure hypothesis, which claims that woodland-nesting species breeding near trees, like blackcaps, presumably experienced a high level of parasitism throughout their range in the past and, therefore, their rejection behaviour, once evolved, spread rapidly to all populations.     

Common Cuckoos Cuculus canorus change their nest‐searching strategy according to the number of available host nests

In recent decades, numerous studies have examined factors affecting risk of host nest parasitism in well‐known avian host–parasite systems; however, little attention has been paid to the role of host nest availability. In accordance with other studies, we found that nest visibility, reed density and timing of breeding predicted brood parasitism of Great Reed Warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus by the Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus. More interestingly, hosts had a greater chance of escaping brood parasitism if nesting was synchronized. Cuckoo nest searching was governed primarily by nest visibility at high host‐nest density. However, even well‐concealed nests were likely to be parasitized during periods when just a few hosts were laying eggs, suggesting that Cuckoos adjust their nest‐searching strategy in relation to the availability of host nests. Our results demonstrate that host vulnerability to brood parasitism varies temporally and that Cuckoo females are able to optimize their nest‐searching strategy. Moreover, our study indicated that Cuckoos always manage to find at least some nests to parasitize. Thus, in this case, the co‐evolutionary arms race should take place mainly in the form of parasitic egg rejection rather than via frontline pre‐parasitism defence.     

FACTORS AFFECTING THE EGG SIZE OF RED-BILLED GULLS LARUS NOVAEHOLLANDIAE SCOPULINUS

The factors influencing the egg size of the Red-billed Gull Larus novaehollandiae scopulinus were studied at Kaikoura, New Zealand, between 1964 and 1972. In two- and three-egg clutches there was a trend for the eggs to become smaller in the sequence of laying. Length, breadth and volume of eggs of one-, two- and three-egg clutches declined significantly as the season progressed. The size of eggs from single-egg clutches tended to be smaller than eggs from two-egg clutches laid at the same time. There were correlations between the proportions of one-egg and of three-egg clutches being laid at a given period and the mean egg volume of two-egg clutches. When the mean egg volume of two-egg clutches increased there was a corresponding increase in the proportion of two- and three-egg clutches laid. When the mean egg volume of two-egg clutches decreased there was an increase in the proportion of single-egg clutches laid. The egg size of the Red-billed Gull showed no direct correlation with the abundance or availability of food; the largest eggs were produced early in the season when food was in short supply. In spite of an increase in the food supply in the middle of the breeding season, birds laying at this time produced smaller eggs than birds which laid earlier in the season. However, early breeders which relayed at the peak in food abundance on average produced a larger replacement clutch than originals laid early in the season. It is suggested that the birds nesting early in the season are able to produce the largest eggs because they are the most efficient foragers for food, and those which nest later in the season produce smaller eggs, even at peak food abundance, because of their inefficiency or inexperience. Early breeders laying replacement clutches tended to lay larger eggs and larger clutches than birds which are producing their first clutches at the same time. Two-year-old females laid eggs which were significantly shorter than older aged birds while the breadth and volume of the egg increased with the age of the female up to the fifth year. There was a trend for females to lay larger eggs when mated with older rather than younger males. No statistical differences in egg size were detected between females changing or retaining the partner of the previous season. Female body weight and egg volume were positively correlated in females weighing less than 275 g but not for heavier females. It is suggested that the seasonal decline in egg size and clutch size results from a decrease in the availability of food and the ability of the individual to exploit the resource.     

Brood parasitism and egg matching in the Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius in southern Africa

Host usage and relative rates of egg matching were investigated in the Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius in southern Africa, using nest record cards and museum collections. Eighteen host species were found to be parasitized at varying degrees of intensity (0.14–12.5%). The most commonly recorded parasitized host, the Cape Robin Cossypha caffra , had a relatively low rate of parasitism (2.46%). The host species experiencing the most recorded pressure from parasitism was the Bearded Robin Erythropygia quadrivirgata , with 12.5% parasitism. Human perception of cuckoo/host egg matching was assessed for parasitized clutches of host species in museum egg collections. Eggs of three different cuckoo egg morphs were scored as matching those of the host species on a 1–5 scale. Perfect/good matching was recorded for eggs found in Chorister Cossypha dichroa , Heuglin's Cossypha heuglini and Natal Robins' Cossypha natalensis clutches. Poor and very poor matching was evident for cuckoo eggs found in four host species' clutches: the Cape Robin, Stonechat Saxicola torquata , Cape Rockthrush Monticola rupestris and Black Flycatcher Melaenornis pammelaina . Available evidence suggests that the Red-chested Cuckoo parasitizes hosts in a particular environment (low vegetation and trees). Good to intermediate matching was recorded with only 47% of host eggs, and with only 28.5% of Cape Robin clutches. A relatively high degree of host specificity, however, is suggested by the nest record card data, which indicate that species with large numbers of records are not those with the highest rates of parasitism.     

Cryptic cuckoo eggs hide from competing cuckoos

Interspecific arms races between cuckoos and their hosts have produced remarkable examples of mimicry, with parasite eggs evolving to match host egg appearance and so evade removal by hosts. Certain bronze-cuckoo species, however, lay eggs that are cryptic rather than mimetic. These eggs are coated in a low luminance pigment that camouflages them within the dark interiors of hosts'' nests. We investigated whether cuckoo egg crypsis is likely to have arisen from the same coevolutionary processes known to favour egg mimicry. We added high and low luminance-painted eggs to the nests of large-billed gerygones (Gerygone magnirostris), a host of the little bronze-cuckoo (Chalcites minutillus). Gerygones rarely rejected either egg type, and did not reject natural cuckoo eggs. Cuckoos, by contrast, regularly removed an egg from clutches before laying their own and were five times more likely to remove a high luminance model than its low luminance counterpart. Given that we found one-third of all parasitized nests were exploited by multiple cuckoos, our results suggest that competition between cuckoos has been the key selective agent for egg crypsis. In such intraspecific arms races, crypsis may be favoured over mimicry because it can reduce the risk of egg removal to levels below chance.     

Intraspecific nest parasitism and anti-parasite behavior in the grey starling,Sturnus cineraceus

I studied intraspecific nest parasitism in the grey starlingSturnus cineraceus in 1992 and 1993. The population in this study consisted of 290 nests (157 nests in 1992 and 133 nests in 1993) in which the clutches were completed before May 10 in the year studied. Twenty-nine nests in 1992 and 32 nests in 1993 contained at least 1 parasitic egg. Hatching success per nest of parasitized nests was slightly higher than that of non-parasitized nests. However, fledging success per nest of parasitized nests was significantly lower than that of non-parasitized nests. Thus parasitism appeared to reduce the reproductive success of hosts. Hosts exhibited a few behaviors that minimized the potential cost of brood parasitism. These behaviors included throwing out the parasitic egg and nest guarding. Hosts threw out parasitic eggs before the onset of laying, but they never did so to parasitic eggs laid after that period. The nest guarding level was low during the hosts’ laying periods, and one observed nest was parasitized during this time. Thus, nest-guarding behavior was not effective as an anti-parasite behavior. Grey starlings do not appear to adopt strategies effective in reducing parasitism.     

The influence of age on laying date,clutch size,and egg size of the white-fronted tern,Sterna striata

Abstract

The age at first breeding and the influence of age on laying date, clutch size, and egg size of white-fronted terns were studied at the Kaikoura Peninsula, New Zealand, between 1971 and 1976. Of the 134 banded birds recovered breeding at Kaikoura, 63% were marked as nestlings at Kaikoura; the remainder came from colonies within 104 km. The bird is extremely capricious in its choice of nesting locality, and there are indications that it is not consistently philopatric. A small number bred as 3-year-olds, but the majority did not commence breeding until after they were 6 years old. Most pairs (73%) were of partners with an age difference of 1 year or less. Laying date and egg size varied with the age of the parent, but clutch size showed no significant change in relation to age. Mean egg volume did not vary between one-egg and two-egg clutches, but in two-egg clutches the first egg laid was significantly the larger in length, breadth, and volume. Single-egg clutches were the most common, but as the season progressed the proportion of two-egg clutches increased. There was no significant seasonal change in egg size.