Egg mimicry, not the sight of a common cuckoo, is the cue for
parasitic egg rejection

J 2023

Egg mimicry, not the sight of a common cuckoo, is the cue for parasitic egg rejection

ŠTĚTKOVÁ, Gabriela, Michal ŠULC, Václav JELÍNEK, Anna HUGHES, Marcel HONZA et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Egg mimicry, not the sight of a common cuckoo, is the cue for parasitic egg rejection

Authors

ŠTĚTKOVÁ, Gabriela (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Michal ŠULC, Václav JELÍNEK, Anna HUGHES and Marcel HONZA

Edition

Behavioral Ecology, Oxford University Press, 2023, 1045-2249

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10614 Behavioral sciences biology

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.400 in 2022

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/23:00132101

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arad058

UT WoS

001028034900001

Keywords in English

animal behavior; brood parasitism; coevolution; egg rejection; mimicry; video recording

Abstract

V originále

Many studies have found that if hosts observe a brood parasite at their nest, they use it as a cue to reject parasitic eggs. However, most previous work has simulated brood parasitic events by exposing a stuffed parasite near a host's nest. Responses to the presence of a real parasite have not yet been adequately studied under natural conditions. We therefore investigated whether great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) are more likely to reject a parasitic egg if they see a parasitizing common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) at their nest than if the parasite approaches the host nest unnoticed. Using video recordings of 70 nests, we showed that spotting a cuckoo at the nest did not increase the rejection rate of parasitic eggs, even if hosts saw the cuckoo repeatedly. Hosts instead used the level of mimicry in the background color for cuckoo egg rejection. Since not every visit by the cuckoo leads to parasitism, seeing the brood parasite may not be a reliable enough cue for the host. Therefore, our results suggest that the sight of a cuckoo at the nest may not have as severe consequences for it as previously thought.

Citovat

ŠTĚTKOVÁ, Gabriela, Michal ŠULC, Václav JELÍNEK, Anna HUGHES and Marcel HONZA. Egg mimicry, not the sight of a common cuckoo, is the cue for parasitic egg rejection. Behavioral Ecology. Oxford University Press, 2023, vol. 34, No 5, p. 891-897. ISSN 1045-2249. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arad058.

@article{2333439,
   author = {Štětková, Gabriela and Šulc, Michal and Jelínek, Václav and Hughes, Anna and Honza, Marcel},
   article_number = {5},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arad058},
   keywords = {animal behavior; brood parasitism; coevolution; egg rejection; mimicry; video recording},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1045-2249},
   journal = {Behavioral Ecology},
   title = {Egg mimicry, not the sight of a common cuckoo, is the cue for parasitic egg rejection},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arad058},
   volume = {34},
   year = {2023}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 2333439
AU  - Štětková, Gabriela - Šulc, Michal - Jelínek, Václav - Hughes, Anna - Honza, Marcel
PY  - 2023
TI  - Egg mimicry, not the sight of a common cuckoo, is the cue for parasitic egg rejection
JF  - Behavioral Ecology
VL  - 34
IS  - 5
SP  - 891-897
EP  - 891-897
PB  - Oxford University Press
SN  - 10452249
KW  - animal behavior
KW  - brood parasitism
KW  - coevolution
KW  - egg rejection
KW  - mimicry
KW  - video recording
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arad058
N2  - Many studies have found that if hosts observe a brood parasite at their nest, they use it as a cue to reject parasitic eggs. However, most previous work has simulated brood parasitic events by exposing a stuffed parasite near a host's nest. Responses to the presence of a real parasite have not yet been adequately studied under natural conditions. We therefore investigated whether great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) are more likely to reject a parasitic egg if they see a parasitizing common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) at their nest than if the parasite approaches the host nest unnoticed. Using video recordings of 70 nests, we showed that spotting a cuckoo at the nest did not increase the rejection rate of parasitic eggs, even if hosts saw the cuckoo repeatedly. Hosts instead used the level of mimicry in the background color for cuckoo egg rejection. Since not every visit by the cuckoo leads to parasitism, seeing the brood parasite may not be a reliable enough cue for the host. Therefore, our results suggest that the sight of a cuckoo at the nest may not have as severe consequences for it as previously thought.
ER  -

ŠTĚTKOVÁ, Gabriela, Michal ŠULC, Václav JELÍNEK, Anna HUGHES and Marcel HONZA. Egg mimicry, not the sight of a common cuckoo, is the cue for parasitic egg rejection. \textit{Behavioral Ecology}. Oxford University Press, 2023, vol.~34, No~5, p.~891-897. ISSN~1045-2249. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arad058.

Detailed Information on Publication Record