The effect of Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus parasitism on the body mass and survival of young in a new host species |
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Authors: | AMANDA R. RIDLEY ALEX M. THOMPSON |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2122, Australia;2. Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa |
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Abstract: | The southern African subspecies of Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus serratus is a brood parasite of a range of host species. While Jacobin Cuckoos do not evict host young, previous research has found that host young rarely survive the nestling period. Here we provide the first records of Jacobin Cuckoo parasitism of a new host species, the Southern Pied Babbler Turdoides bicolor. We investigate rates of brood parasitism and the survival of host young. The Southern Pied Babbler is one of the largest recorded hosts for Jacobin Cuckoos and, unusually, we find that host young tend to survive the nestling period and maintain similar body mass to host young in unparasitized broods. However, host young were less likely to survive to independence than young raised in unparasitized nests, suggesting a post‐fledging reproductive cost to hosts. |
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Keywords: | brood parasite cost of parasitism effect on host young |
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