A generalist brood parasite modifies use of a host in response to reproductive success

Louder, Matthew I. M.; Schelsky, Wendy M.; Albores, Amber; Hoover, Jeffrey P.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2015.1615

Cited by 18 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Thus, this strategy could allow those highly socially influenced females to gain the benefits of using social information to select a nest, while reducing the costs associated with having other cowbird chicks compete with their baby for the host's food. While here we have measured egg laying in captivity, there is some evidence that these patterns may also exist in the wild [35,36]. These distinct strategies are reminiscent of producer/scrounger strategies seen in many socially foraging animals [37][38][39][40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Nest prospecting brown-headed cowbirds ‘parasitize’ social information when the value of personal information is lacking

et al. 2017

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Brood parasites face considerable cognitive challenges in locating and selecting host nests for their young. Here, we test whether female brown-headed cowbirds, , could use information acquired from observing the nest prospecting patterns of conspecifics to influence their own patterns of nest selection. In laboratory-based experiments, we created a disparity in the amount of personal information females had about the quality of nests. Females with less personal information about the quality of two nests spent more time investigating the nest that more knowledgeable females investigated. Furthermore, there was a strong negative relationship between individual's ability to track nest quality using personal information and their tendency to copy others. These two contrasting strategies for selecting nests are equally effective, but lead to different patterns of parasitism.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Nest prospecting brown-headed cowbirds ‘parasitize’ social information when the value of personal information is lacking

et al. 2017

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“…Future studies should consider host‐choice decisions of brood parasites and design manipulations to test for age effects (in both host and parasitic species), to better understand ecological aspects of avian host–parasite interactions. For example, Louder () found that host‐choice decisions made by cowbirds parasitizing Prothonotary Warblers ( Protonotaria citrea ) were related to within‐ and between‐season cowbird reproductive success, and interestingly, not to host nest success.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term dynamics in local host–parasite interactions linked to regional population trends

et al. 2016

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Abstract. Temporal changes in the relative abundances of host-parasite populations can influence the magnitude of the effects of corresponding interspecific interactions. When parasite populations are at relatively low abundance, the negative effects on host populations may be insignificant, but when parasite abundance increases beyond critical thresholds, they can have population limiting effects on the host. Here, we used data from a 40-yr demographic study on breeding Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) and avian brood parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) in the mid-Atlantic United States to disentangle host-parasite interactions. The relative abundance for these two species has changed both locally and regionally over this time period with a reduction in host abundance coincident with an increase in the parasite population. We detected a fivefold increase in Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism rates of Wood Thrushes over the 40-yr time period leading to a reduction in Wood Thrush fitness (i.e., adult survival, fecundity, and recruitment). After accounting for the effects of Wood Thrush age, individual, and annual and within-season variation in reproduction, we found that Wood Thrushes exhibited increased reproductive effort (produced more nests per year) as nest parasitism rates increased. Additionally, we found that as parasitism rates increased, both Wood Thrush clutch size and fecundity declined. In conjunction with widespread habitat loss and land use change on both wintering and breeding ranges, increasing rates of Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism are reducing Wood Thrush fitness, and are likely contributing to observed regional Wood Thrush population declines. Coordinated local and regional efforts to reduce Brown-headed Cowbird populations, particularly in fragmented landscapes, may help reduce the decline for Wood Thrushes, and likely other parasitized Neotropical migratory species.

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“…4. Monitor the host's response to brood parasitism (Hoover & Robinson 2007) and the reproductive outcome of the cowbird's brood parasitic behavior (Louder et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognition and the brain of brood parasitic cowbirds

Sherry

Guigueno

2019

Integrative Zoology

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Cowbirds are brood parasites. Females lay their eggs in the nests of other species which then incubate the cowbird eggs and raise the young cowbirds. Finding and returning to heterospecific nests presents cowbirds with a number of cognitive challenges. In some species, such as brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), females but not males, search for and remember the locations of potential host nests. We describe recent research on sex differences in cognition and the hippocampus associated with this sex difference in search for host nests. Female brown-headed cowbirds perform better than males on some, but not all, tests of spatial memory and females show a pattern of adult hippocampal neurogenesis not found in males or in closely related non-parasitic birds. Because of the apparent specialization of the hippocampus, brown-headed cowbirds may be a good model in which to examine spatial information processing in the avian hippocampus and we also describe recent research on the spatial response properties of brown-headed cowbird hippocampal neurons. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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A generalist brood parasite modifies use of a host in response to reproductive success

Cited by 18 publications

References 62 publications

Nest prospecting brown-headed cowbirds ‘parasitize’ social information when the value of personal information is lacking

Nest prospecting brown-headed cowbirds ‘parasitize’ social information when the value of personal information is lacking

Long‐term dynamics in local host–parasite interactions linked to regional population trends

Cognition and the brain of brood parasitic cowbirds

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