Multiparasitism and repeated parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius on its main host, the magpie Pica pica: effects on reproductive success, nest desertion and nest predation
Brood parasites are expected to lay only one egg per parasitized nest, as the existence of several parasitic nestlings in a brood increases competition and can lead the starvation of some of them. However, multiparasitism (laying of two or more eggs by one or more parasitic females in a single host...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Avian Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.03096 |
| _version_ | 1797626748473442304 |
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| author | Manuel Soler Tomás Pérez‐Contreras Francisco Ruiz‐Raya |
| author_facet | Manuel Soler Tomás Pérez‐Contreras Francisco Ruiz‐Raya |
| author_sort | Manuel Soler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Brood parasites are expected to lay only one egg per parasitized nest, as the existence of several parasitic nestlings in a brood increases competition and can lead the starvation of some of them. However, multiparasitism (laying of two or more eggs by one or more parasitic females in a single host nest) is surprisingly frequent. Here, we study multiparasitism by different females or by the same female (repeated parasitism) in the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius, a non‐evictor brood parasite that mainly parasitizes the magpie Pica pica, and whose chicks may be raised together with host nestlings in the same nest. We used a total of 262 magpie nests found during four breeding seasons. Multiparasitism and repeated parasitism are very frequent because this brood parasite is less virulent than other cuckoo species and magpie hosts can successfully raise more than one parasitic nestling per nest. The total number of cuckoo chicks fledged was higher in multiparasitized nests than in single‐ or double‐parasitized magpie nests. Magpie breeding success (i.e. the proportion of eggs that produce young that leave the nest) did not differ between single‐, double‐, and multiparasitized magpie nests. These results suggest that multiparasitism is an adaptation in the great spotted cuckoo. The intensity of parasitism (number of cuckoo eggs per nest), after controlling for the potential effect of year, did not affect nest desertion or nest predation rate, neither during the incubation nor the nestling periods. This implies that nest concealment does not affect the susceptibility of one nest being parasitized and predated, as nest predation rate was similar regardless of the intensity of parasitism. Predation rate during the nestling phase did not vary according to intensity of parasitism, which does not support either the ‘mutualism' hypothesis or the ‘predation cost of begging' hypothesis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:14:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4a458ce7934e46da9b01a02d7e5c38bf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0908-8857 1600-048X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:14:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Avian Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-4a458ce7934e46da9b01a02d7e5c38bf2023-11-16T10:26:02ZengWileyJournal of Avian Biology0908-88571600-048X2023-11-01202311-12n/an/a10.1111/jav.03096Multiparasitism and repeated parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius on its main host, the magpie Pica pica: effects on reproductive success, nest desertion and nest predationManuel Soler0Tomás Pérez‐Contreras1Francisco Ruiz‐Raya2Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada Granada SpainDepartamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada Granada SpainInstitute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UKBrood parasites are expected to lay only one egg per parasitized nest, as the existence of several parasitic nestlings in a brood increases competition and can lead the starvation of some of them. However, multiparasitism (laying of two or more eggs by one or more parasitic females in a single host nest) is surprisingly frequent. Here, we study multiparasitism by different females or by the same female (repeated parasitism) in the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius, a non‐evictor brood parasite that mainly parasitizes the magpie Pica pica, and whose chicks may be raised together with host nestlings in the same nest. We used a total of 262 magpie nests found during four breeding seasons. Multiparasitism and repeated parasitism are very frequent because this brood parasite is less virulent than other cuckoo species and magpie hosts can successfully raise more than one parasitic nestling per nest. The total number of cuckoo chicks fledged was higher in multiparasitized nests than in single‐ or double‐parasitized magpie nests. Magpie breeding success (i.e. the proportion of eggs that produce young that leave the nest) did not differ between single‐, double‐, and multiparasitized magpie nests. These results suggest that multiparasitism is an adaptation in the great spotted cuckoo. The intensity of parasitism (number of cuckoo eggs per nest), after controlling for the potential effect of year, did not affect nest desertion or nest predation rate, neither during the incubation nor the nestling periods. This implies that nest concealment does not affect the susceptibility of one nest being parasitized and predated, as nest predation rate was similar regardless of the intensity of parasitism. Predation rate during the nestling phase did not vary according to intensity of parasitism, which does not support either the ‘mutualism' hypothesis or the ‘predation cost of begging' hypothesis.https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.03096breeding successClamator glandariusmultiparasitismnest predationPica picarepeated parasitism |
| spellingShingle | Manuel Soler Tomás Pérez‐Contreras Francisco Ruiz‐Raya Multiparasitism and repeated parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius on its main host, the magpie Pica pica: effects on reproductive success, nest desertion and nest predation Journal of Avian Biology breeding success Clamator glandarius multiparasitism nest predation Pica pica repeated parasitism |
| title | Multiparasitism and repeated parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius on its main host, the magpie Pica pica: effects on reproductive success, nest desertion and nest predation |
| title_full | Multiparasitism and repeated parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius on its main host, the magpie Pica pica: effects on reproductive success, nest desertion and nest predation |
| title_fullStr | Multiparasitism and repeated parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius on its main host, the magpie Pica pica: effects on reproductive success, nest desertion and nest predation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multiparasitism and repeated parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius on its main host, the magpie Pica pica: effects on reproductive success, nest desertion and nest predation |
| title_short | Multiparasitism and repeated parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius on its main host, the magpie Pica pica: effects on reproductive success, nest desertion and nest predation |
| title_sort | multiparasitism and repeated parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo clamator glandarius on its main host the magpie pica pica effects on reproductive success nest desertion and nest predation |
| topic | breeding success Clamator glandarius multiparasitism nest predation Pica pica repeated parasitism |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.03096 |
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