No brood parasitism by the Great Spotted Cuckoo<i>Clamator glandarius</i>on the Azure-winged Magpie<i>Cyanopica cyanus</i>

Valencia, Juliana; Solis, Carlos; Carranza, Juan; Solís, Elena

doi:10.1080/00063650509461392

“…Indeed, Azure-winged Magpies have the potential of discarding conspecific eggs which suggests that egg rejection in this species may have evolved from intra-specific parasitism (Avilés, 2004). However, in long-term studies of the species in Spain (reviewed in Avilés, 2004;Valencia et al, 2004) in which eggs were daily numbered, no evidence of intraspecific brood parasitism was found. Likewise, preliminary studies of parentage of the Azure-winged Magpie revealed no evidence of intraspecific brood parasitism (J.G.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intra-clutch variation in egg appearance assessed by human vision does not relate to rejection of parasite eggs in Iberian Azure-winged Magpies

Avilés¹,

Parejo²

2012

CHINESE BIRDS

2

0

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The coevolutionary arms race between cuckoos and their hosts predicts that low variation in egg features within a host clutch would facilitate discrimination of mimetic parasite eggs. Here, we experimentally examine this prediction by using artificial and natural parasite eggs showing contrasting level of matching with host eggs. We quantified, based on human assessment, intra-clutch variation in egg appearance and egg discrimination in the Iberian Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus), a presumed former host of the Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius). Azure-winged Magpies rejected parasitic eggs in relation to their degree of dissimilarity with own eggs: Great Spotted Cuckoo model eggs were relatively more often rejected (73.7%) than real Great Spotted Cuckoo eggs (44.4%) and the less contrasting conspecific eggs (35.5%). Contrary to our predictions, we found that, irrespective of mimicry level of parasitic eggs, intra-clutch variation in host egg appearance did not differ significantly between rejecters and acceptors. We found, however, that individuals with higher variation in egg-size were almost significantly more prone to be rejecters than individuals showing lower variation in egg size. Our results do not support the hypothesis that the extent of intraclutch variation in egg discrimination varied with parasite egg mimicry in this particular system, and add to previous findings suggesting that perhaps an increase in intra-clutch variation in egg appearance, rather than a decrease, might be advantageous when discriminating against non-mimetic Great Spotted Cuckoo eggs.

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“…Nowadays, evidence of great spotted cuckoo parasitism on the Iberian azure‐winged magpie is lacking from studies in which the nests were daily monitored and the eggs numbered. During a 12 year study, inter‐specific brood parasitism was never reported in an azure‐winged magpie population in Central Spain (Valencia et al 2004, n=690 nests). Moreover, Arias de Reyna and co‐workers failed to find clear evidence of great spotted cuckoo parasitism in three azure‐winged magpie populations near Sierra Morena (n=54 nests for Cordoba population; Arias de Reyna and Hidalgo 1982) and sample sizes was not provided for Andújar and Montoro populations (Arias de Reyna 1998).…”

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confidence: 96%

Egg rejection by Iberian azure‐winged magpiesCyanopica cyanusin the absence of brood parasitism

Avilés¹

2004

Journal of Avian Biology

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Avilés, J. M. 2004. Egg rejection by Iberian azure-winged magpies Cyanopica cyanus in the absence of brood parasitism. Á/ J. Avian Biol. 35: 295 Á/299.The Iberian azure-winged magpie Cyanopica cyanus shows a remarkable ability to discriminate against great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius eggs. Here, I studied whether egg recognition in this species could be a derived feature resulting from intraspecific brood parasitism. Azure-winged magpies showed a very high level of discrimination and rejection of great spotted cuckoo models (73.7%), and of conspecific eggs (42.8%), even when no evidence of great spotted cuckoo or conspecific brood parasitism has been found in the population. Azure-winged magpie discriminated more readily than magpies, the current favourite host of the great spotted cuckoo. The high rejection rate of conspecific eggs by the azure-winged magpie suggests that it is quite possible that egg discrimination in this species evolved in response to conspecific brood parasitism rather than to cuckoo parasitism.

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Nest defense by Iberian azure-winged magpies (Cyanopica cyanus): do they recognize the threat of brood parasitism?

Avilés

¹

,

Parejo²

2006

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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Avilés, J. M. 2004. Egg rejection by Iberian azure-winged magpies Cyanopica cyanus in the absence of brood parasitism. Á/ J. Avian Biol. 35: 295 Á/299.The Iberian azure-winged magpie Cyanopica cyanus shows a remarkable ability to discriminate against great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius eggs. Here, I studied whether egg recognition in this species could be a derived feature resulting from intraspecific brood parasitism. Azure-winged magpies showed a very high level of discrimination and rejection of great spotted cuckoo models (73.7%), and of conspecific eggs (42.8%), even when no evidence of great spotted cuckoo or conspecific brood parasitism has been found in the population. Azure-winged magpie discriminated more readily than magpies, the current favourite host of the great spotted cuckoo. The high rejection rate of conspecific eggs by the azure-winged magpie suggests that it is quite possible that egg discrimination in this species evolved in response to conspecific brood parasitism rather than to cuckoo parasitism.

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No brood parasitism by the Great Spotted CuckooClamator glandariuson the Azure-winged MagpieCyanopica cyanus

Cited by 5 publications

References 13 publications

Intra-clutch variation in egg appearance assessed by human vision does not relate to rejection of parasite eggs in Iberian Azure-winged Magpies

Intra-clutch variation in egg appearance assessed by human vision does not relate to rejection of parasite eggs in Iberian Azure-winged Magpies

Egg rejection by Iberian azure‐winged magpiesCyanopica cyanusin the absence of brood parasitism

Nest defense by Iberian azure-winged magpies (Cyanopica cyanus): do they recognize the threat of brood parasitism?

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