Change in host rejection behavior mediated by the predatory behavior of its brood parasite |
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Authors: | Soler Juan Jose; Sorci Gabriele; Soler Manuel; Moller Anders Pape |
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Institution: | a
Departamento de Biología Animal y
Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de
Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
b
Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS URA 258,
Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 7 quai St.
Bernard, Case 237, F-75252 Paris Cedex 05, France |
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Abstract: | Passerine hosts of parasitic cuckoos usually vary in their abilityto
discriminate and reject cuckoo eggs. Costs of discriminationand rejection
errors have been invoked to explain the maintenanceof this within-population
variability. Recently, enforcementof acceptance by parasites has been
identified as a rejectioncost in the magpie (Pica pica) and its
brood parasite, the greatspotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius).
Previous experimentalwork has shown that rejecter magpies suffer from
increased nestpredation by the great spotted cuckoo. Cuckoo predatory
behavioris supposed to confer a selective advantage to the parasitebecause
magpies experiencing a reproductive failure may providea second opportunity
for the cuckoo to parasitize a replacementclutch. This hypothesis implicitly
assumes that magpies modulatetheir propensity to reject parasite eggs as a
function of previousexperience. We tested this hypothesis in a magpie
populationbreeding in study plots varying in parasitism rate. Magpie pairs
thatwere experimentally parasitized and had their nests depredated,after
their rejection behavior had been assessed, changed theirbehavior from
rejection to acceptance. The change in host behaviorwas prominent in study
plots with high levels of parasitism,but not in plots with rare or no cuckoo
parasitism. We discussthree possible explanations for these differences,
concludingthat in study plots with a high density of cuckoos, the probability
fora rejecter magpie nest of being revisited and depredated bya cuckoo is
high, particularly for replacement clutches, and,therefore, the cost for
magpies of rejecting a cuckoo egg ina replacement clutch is increased.
Moreover, in areas with highlevels of host defense (low parasitism rate), the
probabilityof parasitism and predation of rejecter-magpie nests by thecuckoo
is reduced in both first and replacement clutches. Therefore,rejecter magpies
in such areas should not change their rejectionbehavior in replacement
clutches. |
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Keywords: | brood parasitism Clamator glandarius cuckoos evolution host defense magpies mafia behavior Pica pica |
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