ISSN:
1432-0762
Keywords:
Key words Brood parasitism
;
Clamator glandarius
;
Coevolution
;
Egg-damaging behaviour
;
Pica pica
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract Adult great spotted cuckoos, Clamator glandarius, frequently damage one or more eggs of their magpie host, Pica pica, without removing or eating them. The presence of damaged host eggs could signal parasitism thereby increasing the probability that the parasitic egg is ejected. This hypothesis was tested by experimentally introducing a model cuckoo egg with or without damaged host eggs. Magpie responses to experimental parasitism did not differ significantly between treatments implying that damaged host eggs are not used by magpies to assess parasitism. We followed the fate of magpie eggs naturally damaged by the great spotted cuckoo or experimentally damaged by us. Host response was very similar for naturally or experimentally damaged host eggs, but varied significantly according to the type of egg damage, eggs being removed more frequently when pecked than crushed, while cracked eggs were never removed. However, the egg damage that most readily causes egg removal is albumen leakage.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s002650050633
Permalink
