Planning host exploitation through prospecting visits by parasitic cowbirds
We studied visits to potential host nests by two avian brood parasites, the host generalist shiny cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis, and the host specialist screaming cowbird, M. rufoaxillaris, in the periods preceding and overlapping the laying period of their hosts. Our goal was to examine the hypoth...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal article |
| Published: |
Springer Verlag
2016
|
| _version_ | 1797078081831174144 |
|---|---|
| author | Scardamaglia, R Fiorini, V Kacelnik, A Reboreda, J |
| author_facet | Scardamaglia, R Fiorini, V Kacelnik, A Reboreda, J |
| author_sort | Scardamaglia, R |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | We studied visits to potential host nests by two avian brood parasites, the host generalist shiny cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis, and the host specialist screaming cowbird, M. rufoaxillaris, in the periods preceding and overlapping the laying period of their hosts. Our goal was to examine the hypothesis that during pre-laying visits cowbird females form a dynamic memory library of laying opportunities, which they deploy to target suitable nests at a later pre-dawn period. We recorded presence of radio tagged females within a fixed area around nests of chalked-browed mockingbirds, Mimus saturninus (a common host of shiny cowbirds) and baywings, Agelaioides badius (the main host of screaming cowbirds), using proximity data-loggers placed at nests during prelaying, laying and early incubation. Our data confirmed that females of both species visit potential host nests prior to laying and that parasitic events occurred before dawn, earlier in screaming than shiny cowbirds but with little chance of host nests having been discovered on the laying day. There were interesting species differences: visits were less frequent in shiny than screaming cowbirds and the former rarely returned after laying, while screaming cowbirds visited nests repeatedly after laying and occasionally showed repeat parasitism. The higher frequency of re-visiting by screaming cowbirds to baywing nests is consistent with the uncommonly long and variable baywing prelaying period, and the incidence of repeat parasitism may reflect low availability of baywing nests and greater flexibility of its parental care potential thanks to it being a social breeder. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T00:27:22Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:7e988b97-8ee0-4b17-8f57-ce9bc932367b |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T00:27:22Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Springer Verlag |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:7e988b97-8ee0-4b17-8f57-ce9bc932367b2022-03-26T21:11:05ZPlanning host exploitation through prospecting visits by parasitic cowbirdsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:7e988b97-8ee0-4b17-8f57-ce9bc932367bSymplectic Elements at OxfordSpringer Verlag2016Scardamaglia, RFiorini, VKacelnik, AReboreda, JWe studied visits to potential host nests by two avian brood parasites, the host generalist shiny cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis, and the host specialist screaming cowbird, M. rufoaxillaris, in the periods preceding and overlapping the laying period of their hosts. Our goal was to examine the hypothesis that during pre-laying visits cowbird females form a dynamic memory library of laying opportunities, which they deploy to target suitable nests at a later pre-dawn period. We recorded presence of radio tagged females within a fixed area around nests of chalked-browed mockingbirds, Mimus saturninus (a common host of shiny cowbirds) and baywings, Agelaioides badius (the main host of screaming cowbirds), using proximity data-loggers placed at nests during prelaying, laying and early incubation. Our data confirmed that females of both species visit potential host nests prior to laying and that parasitic events occurred before dawn, earlier in screaming than shiny cowbirds but with little chance of host nests having been discovered on the laying day. There were interesting species differences: visits were less frequent in shiny than screaming cowbirds and the former rarely returned after laying, while screaming cowbirds visited nests repeatedly after laying and occasionally showed repeat parasitism. The higher frequency of re-visiting by screaming cowbirds to baywing nests is consistent with the uncommonly long and variable baywing prelaying period, and the incidence of repeat parasitism may reflect low availability of baywing nests and greater flexibility of its parental care potential thanks to it being a social breeder. |
| spellingShingle | Scardamaglia, R Fiorini, V Kacelnik, A Reboreda, J Planning host exploitation through prospecting visits by parasitic cowbirds |
| title | Planning host exploitation through prospecting visits by parasitic cowbirds |
| title_full | Planning host exploitation through prospecting visits by parasitic cowbirds |
| title_fullStr | Planning host exploitation through prospecting visits by parasitic cowbirds |
| title_full_unstemmed | Planning host exploitation through prospecting visits by parasitic cowbirds |
| title_short | Planning host exploitation through prospecting visits by parasitic cowbirds |
| title_sort | planning host exploitation through prospecting visits by parasitic cowbirds |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT scardamagliar planninghostexploitationthroughprospectingvisitsbyparasiticcowbirds AT fioriniv planninghostexploitationthroughprospectingvisitsbyparasiticcowbirds AT kacelnika planninghostexploitationthroughprospectingvisitsbyparasiticcowbirds AT reboredaj planninghostexploitationthroughprospectingvisitsbyparasiticcowbirds |