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Tryjanowski P, Golawski A, Jankowiak Ł, Møller AP. Reactions of wintering passerines to male calls of the European cuckoo Cuculus canorus. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14204. [PMID: 38902276 PMCID: PMC11189894 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64270-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The reaction of birds to the nest parasite, the European cuckoo Cuculus canorus, has been the subject of extensive testing in various aspects. However, while the cuckoo is a long-distance migrant, some of its hosts are sedentary species. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether species, primarily hosts, react to the presence of the cuckoo also in the winter season. This behaviour may involve an attempt to drive the parasite away from locations that will subsequently become their breeding sites. During playback experiments conducted in the winter of 2021/2022 in Poland, we demonstrated that numerous bird species react to the male cuckoo calls in winter. These calls may be perceived as a source of danger, particularly by cuckoo hosts, who responded to this call more frequently than non-hosts and the control species (pigeon). Nonetheless, the birds' reactions were not strong, as they did not approach the source of the call. However, our results are constrained by the limited number of cuckoo host species wintering in Poland. To better evaluate the intensity of bird responses to the male cuckoo's call during the non-breeding season, further studies should be conducted in regions where a greater variety of species, especially those most susceptible to parasitism, overwinter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Tryjanowski
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Artur Golawski
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Siedlce, Prusa 14, 08-110, Siedlce, Poland
| | - Łukasz Jankowiak
- Department of Ecology and Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szczecin, Wąska 13, 71-415, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405, Orsay Cedex, AgroParisTech, France
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Attwood MC, Lund J, Nwaogu CJ, Moya C, Spottiswoode CN. Aggressive hosts are undeterred by a cuckoo's hawk mimicry, but probably make good foster parents. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221506. [PMID: 36598020 PMCID: PMC9811629 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites face a trade-off if the highest quality hosts are also most resistant to exploitation. For brood parasites, well-defended host nests may be both harder to parasitize and harder to predate, leading to better survival of parasitic chicks. This trade-off could be accentuated if brood-parasitic adaptations to reduce front-line defences of hosts, such as mimicry of hawks by Cuculus cuckoos, do not deter hosts which aggressively mob raptors. Here we investigate the costs and benefits to the African cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) of specializing on a highly aggressive host species, the fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis). Field experiments showed that drongos strongly attacked and mobbed both cuckoo and hawk models, implying that hawk mimicry does not deter front-line defences against African cuckoos. Attacks on cuckoo and hawk models generally declined after the egg stage but attacks on snake models sharply increased, suggesting drongos may treat hawks more like cuckoos than predators. We suggest that the cost to cuckoos of parasitizing an aggressive host may be alleviated by subsequent benefits to their offspring, since drongo nests survived better than nests of other species with similar nesting ecology. These results are indicative of a trade-off between host quality and susceptibility for a brood parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jess Lund
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK,FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Chima J. Nwaogu
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Collins Moya
- Musumanene Farm, PO Box 630303, Choma, Southern Province, Zambia
| | - Claire N. Spottiswoode
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK,FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa
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Breeding near heterospecifics as a defence against brood parasites: can redstarts lower probability of cuckoo parasitism using neighbours? Oecologia 2022; 199:871-883. [PMID: 35978228 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05242-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Breeding habitat choice based on the attraction to other species can provide valuable social information and protection benefits. In birds, species with overlapping resources can be a cue of good quality habitats; species with shared predators and/or brood parasites can increase joint vigilance or cooperative mobbing, while raptors may provide a protective umbrella against these threats. We tested whether the migratory common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) is attracted to breed near active nests of the great tit (Parus major), a keystone-information source for migrant passerine birds, or a top predator, the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). This system is unique to test these questions because the redstart is a regular host for the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Therefore, we also evaluated other possible benefits coming from the heterospecific attraction, especially in terms of reducing brood parasitism risk. We monitored redstart occupancy rates, onset of breeding, reproductive investment, and followed nest outcomes in terms of brood parasitism, nest predation risk and overall reproductive success. Redstarts avoided breeding near goshawks, but showed neither attraction nor avoidance to breed next to great tits. Both neighbours neither reduced brood parasitism risk nor affected overall nesting success in redstarts. Redstarts may not use heterospecific attraction for settlement decisions, as associations with other species can only exist when some benefits are gained. Thus, environmental cues may be more important than social information for redstarts when breeding habitat choice. Other front-line defence strategies may have a better impact reducing breeding negative interactions, such brood parasitism.
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Wang J, Ma L, Chen X, Yang C. Female Cuckoo Calls Deceive Their Hosts by Evoking Nest-Leaving Behavior: Variation under Different Levels of Parasitism. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12151990. [PMID: 35953979 PMCID: PMC9367515 DOI: 10.3390/ani12151990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Obligate brood parasite birds such as the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) can trick their hosts via a variety of means. Cuckoos are threats to the host nests but not to the host adults themselves. To successfully parasitize the host nests, female cuckoos have been hypothesized to distract the hosts’ attention from their nests by mimicking the calls of sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), a predator of the hosts. We performed playback experiments in two populations of the host oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) that have experienced different levels of parasitic pressure. We found that female cuckoo calls evoked both populations of the hosts to leave their nests more frequently than did the calls of male cuckoos or doves that do not pose threats to the hosts. This indicated that the call of the female cuckoo functions to deceive the host and thus favors host brood parasitism. However, we propose that such a deceiving effect of the female cuckoo call is due to the rapid cadence of the call rather than sparrowhawk mimicry. Abstract The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is an obligate brood parasite that has evolved a series of strategies to trick its hosts. The female cuckoo has been hypothesized to mimic the appearance and sounds of several raptors to deceive the hosts into exhibiting anti-predator behavior. Such behavior would relax the protection of the host nest and thus allow the female cuckoo to approach the host nest unopposed. Many anti-parasite strategies have been found to vary among geographical populations due to different parasitic pressures from cuckoos. However, the effect of female cuckoo calls related to different levels of parasitic pressure has not been examined. Here, we studied the effect of female cuckoo calls on the oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis), one of the major hosts of the common cuckoo, in two geographical populations experiencing different levels of parasite pressure. Four kinds of sounds were played back to the hosts: the calls from female common cuckoos, male common cuckoos, sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), and oriental turtle doves (Streptopelia orientalis). The results showed that the female cuckoo calls induced the hosts to leave their nests more frequently than the male cuckoo or dove calls in both populations, and two populations of the hosts reacted similarly to the female cuckoo calls, implying that the function of female cuckoo calls would not be affected by the difference in parasitism rate. This study indicates that female cuckoo calls function to distract the hosts’ attention from protecting their nests. However, we propose that such a deception by the female cuckoo call may not be due to the mimicry of sparrowhawk calls, but rather that the rapid cadence of the call that causes a sense of anxiety in the hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Laikun Ma
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China
- Department of Biology and Food Science, Hebei Normal University for Nationalities, Chengde 067000, China
| | - Xiangyang Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Canchao Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
Predators have profound effects on prey behavior and some adult brood parasites use predator resemblance to exploit the antipredator defenses of their hosts. Clarifying host perception of such stimuli is important for understanding the adaptive significance of adult brood parasite characteristics, and the mechanisms by which they misdirect hosts. Here I review the literature to explore the adaptive basis of predator resemblance in avian brood parasites, and natural variation in host responses to these stimuli. I also provide a framework for the information ecology of predator resemblance, which is based on the principles of signal detection theory and draws from empirical evidence from the common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus, as the most widely studied system. In this species, visual and acoustic hawk-like stimuli are effective in manipulating host defenses. Overall, contrasts across host responses suggest that different modalities of information can have independent effects on hosts, and that predator resemblance takes advantage of multiple sensory and cognitive processes. Host perception of these stimuli and the degree to which they are processed in an integrated manner, and the physiological processes underlying regulation of the responses, present new avenues for brood parasitism research.
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Wang Y, Tian M, Liu J, Lu X, Møller AP, Xia C. Testing the Interspecific Function of Female Common Cuckoo “Bubbling” Call. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.725222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Female common cuckoo (Cuculus canorous) predator-like “bubbling” calls distract host parental attention and reduce the egg rejection rate. Such “bubbling” calls are also frequently used to attract males and deter territorial rivals in intraspecies contact, and these calls are an ancestral character in many cuckoo species. Although hosts have had sufficient time to become familiar with this call and evolve anti-parasitic strategies, why are the hosts fooled by this “bubbling” call? We propose two hypotheses. The first hypothesis proposes that call variation reduces the opportunity for host species to correctly assess cuckoo tricks. In contrast, the second hypothesis proposes that the cost of behavior may prevent the antiparasitic strategy from evolving. In the study, we tested the prerequisites of these hypotheses, by investigating whether cuckoo calls vary during the day and testing whether the predator-like calls suppress bird activities. Based on field recordings from three different areas, we found high overlap in the calls generated during different periods. Oriental great reed warblers (Acrocephalus orientalis), a host species, did not show different responses toward the playback of female common cuckoo calls generated before noon or afternoon. Based on bird count data, we found that predator-like call playback is insufficient for suppressing bird activities. Therefore, none of the prerequisites were supported by our field data. We discuss the potential reasons for our findings and hope to inspire more research examining female cuckoo vocalizations.
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7
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Go JS, Lee JW, Yoo JC. Variations of Hawk Mimicry Traits in the Four Sympatric Cuculus Cuckoos. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.702263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A well-known visual signal, hawk-like features such as yellow eyes and feet, and barred underparts have been recognized as coevolutionary traits obtained against host defense in Cuculus cuckoos. However, the variation of these traits within and among species remains poorly understood because empirical studies quantifying these traits are limited in terms of the number of studies and the number of species concerned, and mostly depend on museum collections. In this study, we quantified and compared these traits as well as other new features (e.g., inner wing spot and underpart background color) in the four sympatric Cuculus cuckoos (Cuculus poliocephalus, Cuculus micropterus, Cuculus optatus, and Cuculus canorus) that were wild-captured in South Korea. We found that the yellow color of the eye ring and feet was fairly consistent across the four species. However, the iris color appeared to vary within a species (e.g., between sexes) and varied more substantially among species from nearly black in C. micropterus to bright yellow in C. canorus. In addition, there were significant differences among species with respect to the thickness of the underpart bars, from the thinnest in C. canorus to the thickest in C. micropterus. We also found that the underpart color (pure white versus yellowish brown) and the number of inner wing spots varied within and among species. These results indicate that although hawk-like traits are widely present in Cuculus cuckoos, detailed quantitative features of these traits vary across species. We discuss the potential reasons that generate such variations and suggest future directions to increase our understanding of visual signals in avian brood parasitism.
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Marton A, Fülöp A, Bán M, Hauber ME, Moskát C. Female common cuckoo calls dampen the mobbing intensity of great reed warbler hosts. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Attila Marton
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
- Juhász‐Nagy Pál Doctoral School University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
| | - Attila Fülöp
- Juhász‐Nagy Pál Doctoral School University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
| | - Miklós Bán
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
| | - Márk E. Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USA
| | - Csaba Moskát
- MTA‐ELTE‐MTM Ecology Research Group A Joint Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences The Biological Institute of the Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Natural History Museum Budapest Hungary
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9
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Female-female aggression and male responses to the two colour morphs of female common cuckoos. Naturwissenschaften 2020; 107:28. [PMID: 32564143 PMCID: PMC7306036 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-01680-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Female-only colour polymorphism is rare in birds, but occurs in brood parasitic cuckoos (Cuculidae). Obligate brood parasites leave incubation and parental care to other species (hosts), so female-female interactions can play a role in how parasites guard critical resources (host nests) within their laying areas. The plumage of adult female common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) is either rufous (typically rare) or grey (common), whereas adult male conspecifics are monochromatic (grey). In previous studies, hosts and conspecific males responded with less intensity toward the rare female morph in support of a negative frequency-dependent benefit of female plumage polychromatism. Here, we assessed responses of both conspecific females and males to vocal playbacks of female calls, coupled with one of two 3D models of the different morphs of female cuckoos. At our study population, the rufous female morph was as common as the grey morph; therefore, we predicted similarly high rates of conspecific responses in both treatments. Both female and male cuckoos responded to playbacks acoustically, which demonstrated the primary role of acoustic communication in social interactions amongst cuckoos. Following this, some cuckoos flew closer to the models to inspect them visually. As predicted, no significant differences were detected between the live cuckoos’ responses toward the two colour morphs in this population. We conclude that dichromatism in female cuckoos evolved to serve one or more functions other than conspecific signalling.
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10
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11
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Tryjanowski P, Morelli F, Osiejuk TS, Møller AP. Functional significance of cuckoo Cuculus canorus calls: responses of conspecifics, hosts and non-hosts. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5302. [PMID: 30245923 PMCID: PMC6149496 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Male cuckoos Cuculus canorus produce calls that differ in number of syllables depending on environmental conditions and presence of male and female conspecifics. Why different males produce so repeatable calls that vary greatly in duration among males remains an open question. We used playback of cuckoo calls with few or many syllables (hereafter short and long calls), and woodpigeon calls (a control that also produces few or many syllables), predicting that playback of longer cuckoo calls should attract more male cuckoos (if males with such calls are dominant and successfully out-compete other males due to intraspecific competition), and attract more hosts mobbing male cuckoos (cuckoos with such calls and their females attract more hosts because of an increased risk of parasitism). Because cuckoos differentially parasitize hosts away from human habitation, we also tested whether the number of syllables in cuckoo calls differed with distance from buildings. Playback showed significant effects of number of syllables in cuckoo calls, but not woodpigeon Columba palumbus calls, with an additional effect of distance from human habitation decreasing the response to playback. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that longer cuckoo calls, especially played back near human habitation, attract more conspecifics and hosts than shorter calls. To the best of knowledge this is the first study showing that cuckoo call response modified both other cuckoo individuals, as well as hosts response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Tryjanowski
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Federico Morelli
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomasz S Osiejuk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Department Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris Sud (Paris XI), Orsay Cedex, France
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12
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13
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14
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Soma M, Garamszegi LZ. Evolution of patterned plumage as a sexual signal in estrildid finches. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Masayo Soma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - László Zsolt Garamszegi
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, c/Americo Vespucio, Seville, Spain
- MTA-ELTE, Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány, Budapest, Hungary
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15
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Stoddard MC, Hauber ME. Colour, vision and coevolution in avian brood parasitism. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0339. [PMID: 28533456 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The coevolutionary interactions between avian brood parasites and their hosts provide a powerful system for investigating the diversity of animal coloration. Specifically, reciprocal selection pressure applied by hosts and brood parasites can give rise to novel forms and functions of animal coloration, which largely differ from those that arise when selection is imposed by predators or mates. In the study of animal colours, avian brood parasite-host dynamics therefore invite special consideration. Rapid advances across disciplines have paved the way for an integrative study of colour and vision in brood parasite-host systems. We now know that visually driven host defences and host life history have selected for a suite of phenotypic adaptations in parasites, including mimicry, crypsis and supernormal stimuli. This sometimes leads to vision-based host counter-adaptations and increased parasite trickery. Here, we review vision-based adaptations that arise in parasite-host interactions, emphasizing that these adaptations can be visual/sensory, cognitive or phenotypic in nature. We highlight recent breakthroughs in chemistry, genomics, neuroscience and computer vision, and we conclude by identifying important future directions. Moving forward, it will be essential to identify the genetic and neural bases of adaptation and to compare vision-based adaptations to those arising in other sensory modalities.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Caswell Stoddard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and Graduate Center of the City University of New York, NY, USA.,Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
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16
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Feeney WE, Troscianko J, Langmore NE, Spottiswoode CN. Evidence for aggressive mimicry in an adult brood parasitic bird, and generalized defences in its host. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:rspb.2015.0795. [PMID: 26063850 PMCID: PMC4590487 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mimicry of a harmless model (aggressive mimicry) is used by egg, chick and fledgling brood parasites that resemble the host's own eggs, chicks and fledglings. However, aggressive mimicry may also evolve in adult brood parasites, to avoid attack from hosts and/or manipulate their perception of parasitism risk. We tested the hypothesis that female cuckoo finches (Anomalospiza imberbis) are aggressive mimics of female Euplectes weavers, such as the harmless, abundant and sympatric southern red bishop (Euplectes orix). We show that female cuckoo finch plumage colour and pattern more closely resembled those of Euplectes weavers (putative models) than Vidua finches (closest relatives); that their tawny-flanked prinia (Prinia subflava) hosts were equally aggressive towards female cuckoo finches and southern red bishops, and more aggressive to both than to their male counterparts; and that prinias were equally likely to reject an egg after seeing a female cuckoo finch or bishop, and more likely to do so than after seeing a male bishop near their nest. This is, to our knowledge, the first quantitative evidence for aggressive mimicry in an adult bird, and suggests that host–parasite coevolution can select for aggressive mimicry by avian brood parasites, and counter-defences by hosts, at all stages of the reproductive cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- W E Feeney
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - J Troscianko
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - N E Langmore
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - C N Spottiswoode
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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17
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Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) differentiate between common cuckoo and sparrowhawk in China: alarm calls convey information on threat. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2036-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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18
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Trnka A, Trnka M, Grim T. Do rufous common cuckoo females indeed mimic a predator? An experimental test. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alfréd Trnka
- Department of Biology; University of Trnava; Priemyselná 4 SK-918 43 Trnava Slovakia
| | - Michal Trnka
- Department of Biology; University of Trnava; Priemyselná 4 SK-918 43 Trnava Slovakia
| | - Tomáš Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology; Palacký University; 17. listopadu 50 77146 Olomouc Czech Republic
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19
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Møller AP, Stokke BG, Samia DS. Hawk models, hawk mimics, and antipredator behavior of prey. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Li D, Wei H, Zhang Z, Liang W, Stokke B. Oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) nest defence behaviour towards brood parasites and nest predators. BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Brood parasites and predators pose different threats to passerines that may favour the evolution of enemy-specific defence strategies. Furthermore, potential sex-specific variation in parental investment may be manifested in differences between male and female nest defence behaviour. We investigated these hypotheses in Oriental reed warblers (Acrocephalus orientalis), by recording sex- and stage-specific (nests with eggs or nestlings) responses to stuffed dummies placed at their nests. Warblers showed the highest level of aggression to the co-occurring parasite, the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), colour morph (grey), but showed reluctance to mob or attack the co-occurring nest predator, the magpie (Pica pica). There was a sex difference in rate of body attacks towards rufous morph common cuckoo, sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) (locally absent parasite and predator, respectively) and the spotted dove (Streptopelia chinensis) (locally present, harmless species), with females showing better ability to distinguish between these species than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donglai Li
- aCollege of Life Sciences, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, P.R. China
- bMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P.R. China
- cMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, P.R. China
| | - Hongwei Wei
- aCollege of Life Sciences, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, P.R. China
| | - Zhengwang Zhang
- bMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P.R. China
| | - Wei Liang
- cMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, P.R. China
| | - Bård G. Stokke
- dDepartment of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
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Feeney WE, Welbergen JA, Langmore NE. Advances in the Study of Coevolution Between Avian Brood Parasites and Their Hosts. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2014. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-120213-091603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William E. Feeney
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia; ,
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
| | - Justin A. Welbergen
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, The University of Western Sydney, Penrith NSW 2751, Australia;
| | - Naomi E. Langmore
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia; ,
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