From Parasitism to Mutualism: Unexpected Interactions Between a Cuckoo and Its Host
Author(s)
Canestrari, Daniela
Bolopo, Diana
Marcos, José M.
Baglione, Vittorio
Date issued
March 2014
In
Science
Vol
6177
No
343
From page
1350
To page
1352
Subjects
great-spotted-cuckoos
brood parasitism
carrion crows
outcomes
agents
birds
Abstract
Avian brood parasites lay eggs in the nests of other birds, which raise the unrelated chicks and typically suffer partial or complete loss of their own brood. However, carrion crows Corvus corone corone can benefit from parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius. Parasitized nests have lower rates of predation-induced failure due to production of a repellent secretion by cuckoo chicks, but among nests that are successful, those with cuckoo chicks fledge fewer crows. The outcome of these counterbalancing effects fluctuates between parasitism and mutualism each season, depending on the intensity of predation pressure.
Publication type
journal article
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