Host species affects the growth rate of cuckoo ( Cuculus canorus ) chicks

Kleven, Oddmund; Moksnes, Arne; Røskaft, Eivin; Honza, Marcel

doi:10.1007/s002650050647

Cited by 73 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Hence, if females prefer the call of male cuckoos from their own habitat, non-random mating may result. Also, growth rate and fledging mass of cuckoo nestlings vary among the different host species [46]. If this size difference is also reflected in adults, there is a possibility of assortative mating based on body size.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic differentiation among sympatric cuckoo host races: males matter

et al. 2010

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Generalist parasites regularly evolve host-specific races that each specialize on one particular host species. Many host-specific races originate from geographically structured populations where local adaptations to different host species drive the differentiation of distinct races. However, in sympatric populations where several host races coexist, gene flow could potentially disrupt such host-specific adaptations. Here, we analyse genetic differentiation among three sympatrically breeding host races of the brood-parasitic common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus. In this species, host-specific adaptations are assumed to be controlled by females only, possibly via the female-specific W-chromosome, thereby avoiding that gene flow via males disrupts local adaptations. Although males were more likely to have offspring in two different host species (43% versus 7%), they did not have significantly more descendants being raised outside their putative foster species than females (9% versus 2%). We found significant genetic differentiation for both biparentally inherited microsatellite DNA markers and maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA markers. To our knowledge, this is the first study that finds significant genetic differentiation in biparentally inherited markers among cuckoo host-specific races. Our results imply that males also may contribute to the evolution and maintenance of the different races, and hence that the genes responsible for egg phenotype may be found on autosomal chromosomes rather than the female-specific W-chromosome as previously assumed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic differentiation among sympatric cuckoo host races: males matter

et al. 2010

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“…Finally, the choice of a host species also affects offspring quality in brood parasites, as has been demonstrated by Kleven et al (1999). Common Cuckoos of the Reed Warbler gens also parasitize the great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus at a study site in the Czech Republic, and cuckoo chicks raised by great Reed Warblers grew at a faster rate and fledged significantly heavier than cuckoo chicks raised by Reed Warblers.…”

Section: Review Cuckoos Cowbirds and Hosts O Krü Ger 1875mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cuckoos, cowbirds and hosts: adaptations, trade-offs and constraints

Krüger

2006

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

126

117

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The interactions between brood parasitic birds and their host species provide one of the best model systems for coevolution. Despite being intensively studied, the parasite-host system provides ample opportunities to test new predictions from both coevolutionary theory as well as life-history theory in general. I identify four main areas that might be especially fruitful: cuckoo female gentes as alternative reproductive strategies, non-random and nonlinear risks of brood parasitism for host individuals, host parental quality and targeted brood parasitism, and differences and similarities between predation risk and parasitism risk. Rather than being a rare and intriguing system to study coevolutionary processes, I believe that avian brood parasites and their hosts are much more important as extreme cases in the evolution of life-history strategies. They provide unique examples of trade-offs and situations where constraints are either completely removed or particularly severe.

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“…High concentrations of plasma testosterone may improve begging behavior (Goodship andBuchanan 2006, Quillfeldt et al 2006), which Butchart et al (2003) showed to intensify with the age of cuckoo nestlings. At 14-16 days of age, when the growth rate slows down (Kleven et al 1999, Anderson et al 2009) and the level of oxidative stress is relatively high (this study), plasma testosterone level was lower. We hypothesize that maintaining a high level of testosterone throughout nestling development could be counterselected, as it may compromise immunocompetence (Naguib et al 2004, Fargallo et al 2007) and elevate oxidative stress (von Schantz et al 1999, Alonso-Alvarez et al 2007; but see Blas et al 2006, McGraw et al 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Great Reed Warbler is a well-known, relatively large cuckoo host, and cuckoo nestlings develop faster and reach a greater mass at fledging in nests of this species than in nests of smaller hosts (Kleven et al 1999, Butchart et al 2003. The eggs of the cuckoo and Great Reed Warbler differ in shape and shell thickness (Hargitai et al 2010, Igic et al 2011), but their volumes are similar (Honza et al 2001, Hargitai et al 2010.…”

Section: Methods Field Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(1) shortly after the eviction period (days 5-6), (2) during the intensive, linear phase of growth (days 8-9), and (3) when the growth rate slows down and reaches a plateau near fledging (days 14-16; Kleven et al 1999, Grim 2006, Anderson et al 2009). Data on age-specific variation in oxidative status and plasma testosterone level could provide insights into how the various phases of nestling development are related to nestlings' physiological ontogeny.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation in Plasma Oxidative Status and Testosterone Level in Relation to Egg-Eviction Effort and Age of Brood-Parasitic Common Cuckoo Nestlings

et al. 2012

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(2012) Variation in plasma oxidative status and testosterone level in relation to egg-eviction effort and age of brood-parasitic common cuckoo nestlings. Condor, 114 (4). pp. [782][783][784][785][786][787][788][789][790][791] Copyright © 2012 The Cooper Ornithological Society A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or chargeThe content must not be changed in any way or reproduced in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holder(s) When referring to this work, full bibliographic details must be given http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/75524/ Abstract. To avoid competition for parental care, brood-parasitic Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) nestlings evict all of the host's eggs and nestlings within a few days after hatching. Little is known about the physiological effects of eviction behavior on the cuckoo nestling's oxidative balance or about age-related variation in plasma oxidative status and testosterone level of developing birds. We examined whether the cuckoo nestling's plasma oxidative status was related to prior effort in eviction and quantified variation in the level of reactive oxygen metabolites, of nonenzymatic antioxidant capacity, and of testosterone concentration in plasma at various phases of the cuckoo's development. Levels of both reactive oxygen metabolites and antioxidant capacity were greater in older than in younger nestlings, suggesting that younger nestlings effectively counterbalance their increased production of free radicals, whereas, near fledging, levels of reactive oxygen metabolites increase despite improved antioxidant capacity. Possibly, overall energy expenditure increases with age and elevates the production of reactive oxygen species to a rate higher than what the antioxidant system could eliminate. Plasma testosterone level was the highest at nestlings' intermediate phase of growth. High levels of testosterone may be required during the period of fastest growth, and when the growth rate levels off near fledging, testosterone levels may also decline. Cuckoo chicks that evicted more host eggs from steeper nests had higher plasma levels of reactive oxygen metabolites shortly after the eviction period, suggesting that eviction is costly in terms of an increased level of oxidative stress.Key words: antioxidant capacity, brood parasitism, eviction behavior, oxidative stress, plasma testosterone. Variación en el Estatus Oxidativo del Plasma y Niveles de Testosterona en Relación al Esfuerzo de Desalojo de Huevos y Edad de los Pichones Parásitos de Nidada de Cuculus canorusResumen. Para evitar la competencia por el cuidado parental, los polluelos parásitos de nidada de Cuculus canorus desalojan todos los huevos y los polluelos del hospedador a los pocos días después de la eclosión. Se sabe poco sobre los efectos fisiológicos del comportamiento de desalojo en el balance oxidativo de los polluelos de C. canorus o sobre la variación en el estatus oxidativo del plasma y el nivel de testosterona relacionado con la e...

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Host species affects the growth rate of cuckoo ( Cuculus canorus ) chicks

Cited by 73 publications

References 26 publications

Genetic differentiation among sympatric cuckoo host races: males matter

Genetic differentiation among sympatric cuckoo host races: males matter

Cuckoos, cowbirds and hosts: adaptations, trade-offs and constraints

Variation in Plasma Oxidative Status and Testosterone Level in Relation to Egg-Eviction Effort and Age of Brood-Parasitic Common Cuckoo Nestlings

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