Association between nest defense and egg rejection behavior of Brown-breasted Bulbuls (<i>Pycnonotus xanthorrhous</i>)

Su, Tongping; Yang, Canchao; Liang, Guo-Xian; Ding, Changqing; Liang, Wei

doi:10.1642/auk-15-211.1

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…In nests with only nonmimetic eggs, the probability of swallows rejecting the model eggs was 27%, whereas in nests with model eggs and peanut shells, all of the individuals were able to remove the peanut shells and the probability of rejecting the model eggs increased to 56%, demonstrating the significant influence of host bird nest sanitation behavior on egg discrimination. Similar to Barn Swallows, Brownbreasted Bulbuls also showed moderate egg discrimination ability against non-mimetic eggs (64.1%, Su et al 2016;53.8%, this study), which were similar to American Robins (65%; Luro and Hauber 2017) but stronger than the discrimination ability of Red-winged Blackbirds (0%; Peer 2017). However, our results showed no effect of nest sanitation behavior on egg discrimination, but were consistent with those by Luro and Hauber (2017) and Peer (2017), who found that although the tested hosts showed nest sanitation behavior, the addition of foreign objects to the nest did not influence host egg rejection.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

“…We estimated the hatching stage following Hays and LeCroy (1971). No cuckoo parasitism was recorded in Brown-breasted Bulbuls although they are abundant in our study area and their nests were easy to find (Yang et al 2012;Su et al 2016). We followed the experimental protocols by Yang et al (2015a) and performed the experiment during the early incubation stage.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus), it seems that nest sanitation plays a key role in the evolution of the removal of parasitic eggs (Poláček et al 2013; but see Yang et al 2016). Yang et al (2015b) showed that the nest sanitation behavior of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) was a preadaptation to identifying the eggs of parasitic cuckoos.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the Brown-breasted Bulbul in China has not been recorded as being parasitized by parasitic cuckoos (Yang et al 2012;Su et al 2016), most species of bulbuls were listed as hosts for many cuckoo species (Cuculus spp.) (Davies 2000), and in Africa, Cape Bulbuls (Pycnonotus capensis) and other bulbul species (Pycnonotus spp.)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does nest sanitation elicit egg rejection in an open-cup nesting cuckoo host rejecter?

Yang

Chen

et al. 2018

Avian Res

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Background: Nest sanitation behavior is one of the most important means to ensure high reproductive efficiency. In avian brood parasitism, nest sanitation behavior may be a pre-adaptation of host birds that allows them to identify the parasitic eggs, so that egg discrimination behavior may have evolved from nest sanitation behavior. However, whether nest sanitation behavior could improve egg rejection in cuckoo hosts was inconclusive. Methods:In this study, we investigated the relationship between nest sanitation and egg discrimination behavior in a potential cuckoo host, the Brown-breasted Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthorrhous) with two experimental groups. In the first group, we added a blue, non-mimetic egg to the nest of the host, while in the second group we added a blue, non-mimetic egg and a peanut half-shell. Results:The results showed that in the first group, the probability of rejecting the non-mimetic eggs was 53.8% (n = 26 nests). In comparison, all of the Brown-breasted Bulbuls in the second group were able to rapidly remove the peanut shells from the nest, but only 52.6% (n = 19 nests) rejected the non-mimetic eggs. The rejection rates of the non-mimetic eggs in both experimental groups were not significantly different. Conclusions:Our study indicated that nest sanitation behavior of Brown-breasted Bulbuls did not influence their egg recognition and that egg discrimination ability of Brown-breasted Bulbuls was not directly related to nest sanitation behavior.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does nest sanitation elicit egg rejection in an open-cup nesting cuckoo host rejecter?

Yang

Chen

et al. 2018

Avian Res

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“…The KSS Nature Reserve is situated in a subtropical moist broadleaf mixed forest interspersed with abandoned tea plantations, shrubby areas, and open fields used as cattle pastures ( Yang et al 2010 , 2013 ). BHH is an island park in the suburban area of Guiyang City ( Su et al 2016 ). Several cuckoo species are found in both study areas, including the large hawk cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides , the common cuckoo C uculus canorus , the Himalayan cuckoo, and the lesser cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coevolution between Himalayan cuckoos and 2 sympatric Pycnonotidae hosts

Yang

et al. 2021

Current Zoology

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Selection due to cuckoo parasitism is responsible for the evolution of anti-parasitism defenses in hosts. Different host species breeding sympatrically with a single parasitic cuckoo may evolve different strategies to reduce the risk or counter cuckoo parasitism, resulting in different interactions between cuckoos and hosts in areas of sympatry. Here, we studied the coevolutionary interactions between Himalayan cuckoos Cuculus saturatus and two sympatric and closely related potential hosts belonging to the family Pycnonotidae, the brown-breasted bulbul Cuculus saturatus and the collared finchbill Spizixos semitorques. We investigated parasitism rates and nest site selection (nest height, nest cover, human disturbance, perch height, forest distance, and degree of concealment) related to parasitism risk, nest defense against a cuckoo dummy, and egg rejection against cuckoo model eggs. Bulbuls used specific nest sites that were further away from forests than those of finchbills, and they behaved more aggressively toward cuckoos than finchbills. In contrast, bulbuls possessed moderate egg rejection ability, while the finchbill rejected 100% of cuckoo model eggs. We suggest that selection of a nest site away from forests by the bulbul explains the absence of parasitism by Himalayan cuckoos. We suggest that these interspecific differences in nest site selection and nest defense indicate alternative responses to selection due to cuckoos.

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High Diversity of Brood Parasites in China and Coevolution Between Cuckoos and Their Hosts

Liang

Yang

Møller

2017

Avian Brood Parasitism

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Association between nest defense and egg rejection behavior of Brown-breasted Bulbuls (Pycnonotus xanthorrhous)

Cited by 4 publications

References 14 publications

Does nest sanitation elicit egg rejection in an open-cup nesting cuckoo host rejecter?

Does nest sanitation elicit egg rejection in an open-cup nesting cuckoo host rejecter?

Coevolution between Himalayan cuckoos and 2 sympatric Pycnonotidae hosts

High Diversity of Brood Parasites in China and Coevolution Between Cuckoos and Their Hosts

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