Postfledging behavior of the Common Cuckoo (<i>Cuculus canorus</i>) attended by the Chaffinch (<i>Fringilla coelebs</i>): a comprehensive approach to study the least-known stage of brood parasite–host coevolution

Tyller, Zdeněk; Kysučan, Michal; Grim, Tomáš

doi:10.1676/16-223.1

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Fledglings were radio-tracked daily until they started to fly and then followed at least every third day until independence or death ( predation or starvation). Fledglings reached independence if they stopped begging [36] and adults ceased feeding [37] and producing alarm calls towards the researcher or any other potential threat [28]. We visually confirmed the status for all independent fledglings.…”

Section: (E) Radio-trackingmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…Fledglings reached independence if they stopped begging [36] and adults ceased feeding [37] and producing alarm calls towards the researcher or any other potential threat [28]. We visually confirmed the status for all independent fledglings.…”

Section: (E) Radio-trackingmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…For the nestling stage, we formulated exact quantitative predictions according to allometric relationships among avian growth parameters and avian energetics (see Material and methods). We were unable to formulate any specific predictions for the fledgling stage, because neither of the two published studies about the cuckoo fledgling stage reported any data on host fledglings [2,28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rearing a virulent common cuckoo is not extra costly for its only cavity-nesting host

Samaš

Rutila²,

Honza

et al. 2018

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Virulent brood parasites refrain from arduous parental care, often kill host progeny and inflict rearing costs upon their hosts. Quantifying the magnitude of such costs across the whole period of care (from incubation through to parasite fledgling independence) is essential for understanding the selection pressures on hosts to evolve antiparasitic defences. Despite the central importance of such costs for our understanding of coevolutionary dynamics, they have not yet been comprehensively quantified in any host of any avian brood parasite. We quantified parasite-rearing costs in common redstarts Phoenicurus phoenicurus raising either parasitic common cuckoo Cuculus canorus or their own chicks throughout the complete breeding cycle, and used multiple cost parameters for each breeding stage: incubation, brooding and feeding effort; length of parental/host care; parent/host body condition; and heterophil/lymphocyte ratio (stress-level indicator). Contrary to traditional assumptions, rearing the parasite per se was not associated with overall higher physiological or physical costs to hosts above the natural levels imposed by efforts to rear their own progeny. The low parasite-rearing costs imposed on hosts may, in part, explain the low levels of known host counter-defences in this unusually frequently parasitized cuckoo host.

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Section: (E) Radio-trackingmentioning

confidence: 55%

Section: (E) Radio-trackingmentioning

confidence: 55%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Rearing a virulent common cuckoo is not extra costly for its only cavity-nesting host

Samaš

Rutila²,

Honza

et al. 2018

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…Whether these juveniles slowly learn how to feed themselves or suddenly start to do so after they leave the breeding area remains an important unanswered question. Common Cuckoos seem to follow the former strategy, as juveniles of that species can also feed themselves (when their foster parent is not present), apparently sometimes on lichens, although the presence of insects on the lichen surfaces could not be excluded (Tyller et al , 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival, Dispersal and Initial Migratory Movements of Juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoos Clamator glandarius

Martínez-Zunzarren

Ruiz-Raya

Pérez‐Contreras

et al. 2023

Ardeola

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The Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius belongs to the family Cuculidae, whose biology has been intensively studied for years, particularly in the context of avian brood parasitism. However, there are still important gaps in knowledge of its biology. Recent studies have highlighted the absence of information about survival, dispersal and migratory routes of juveniles, and the main aim of this study was to contribute to filling this gap. We used radio-transmitters and satellite tags (pTTs) to study the initial movements of juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoos in the study area (i.e. breeding territories), as well as their long-distance migratory movements. We found that a large proportion of marked individuals died in the study area within days or weeks of leaving the nest, with direct and indirect evidence suggesting that predation is the main cause of mortality. Our results suggest that pre-migratory movements of juveniles, i.e., those carried out before leaving the Iberian peninsula, are different from those previously found for experienced adults. The high predation rate in the study area meant that only three of 13 satellite-tagged juveniles initiated migration to their wintering area in sub-Saharan Africa, using the Eastern Atlantic route. Overall, the information provided here contributes to a better understanding of the biology of juvenile great Spotted Cuckoos and could be useful in addressing potential future conservation problems.

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“…The challenge of stimulating parental care may continue for several days or weeks after parasites fledge from host nests, until they attain nutritional independence. However, begging behavior in parasitic fledglings is poorly known (Hauber and Ramsey, 2003;Grim, 2008a;Tyller et al, 2018). It is possible that begging exaggeration is more relevant for attracting parental care and competing for parental feedings during the post-fledgling stage, but this idea needs to be examined.…”

Section: Tuning Mechanisms To Exploit Host Parental Behavior Through Begging Displays Begging Exaggerationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tricking Parents: A Review of Mechanisms and Signals of Host Manipulation by Brood-Parasitic Young

et al. 2021

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Obligate avian brood parasites depend entirely on heterospecific hosts for rearing their offspring. From hatching until independence, the young parasites must deal with the challenge of obtaining sufficient parental care from foster parents that are attuned to provisioning their own offspring. Parent-offspring communication is mediated by complex begging displays in which nestlings and fledglings exhibit visual (e.g., gaping and postures) and vocal (e.g., begging calls) traits that serve as signals to parents to adjust and allocate parental effort. Parasites can manipulate host parental behavior by exploiting these stable parent-offspring communication systems in their favor. During the past 30 years, the study of host exploitation by parasitic chicks has yielded important insights into the function and evolution of manipulative signals in brood parasites. However, despite these major advances, there are still important gaps in our knowledge about how parasitic nestling and fledglings tune into the host’s communication channels and the adaptive value of the visual and acoustic signals they exhibit. Here we review the literature pertaining to host manipulation by parasitic young, focusing on four non-mutually exclusive mechanisms (i.e., host chick mimicry, begging exaggeration, host-attuned begging calls, and sensory exploitation) and the function and evolution of the signals involved, with the aim to summarize and discuss putative adaptations for stimulating parental feeding and escaping host discrimination. Finally, we bring some concluding remarks and suggest directions for future research on the ways in which brood parasites adapt to the communication systems of other birds to exploit the necessary parental care.

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Postfledging behavior of the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) attended by the Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs): a comprehensive approach to study the least-known stage of brood parasite–host coevolution

Cited by 12 publications

References 30 publications

Rearing a virulent common cuckoo is not extra costly for its only cavity-nesting host

Rearing a virulent common cuckoo is not extra costly for its only cavity-nesting host

Survival, Dispersal and Initial Migratory Movements of Juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoos Clamator glandarius

Tricking Parents: A Review of Mechanisms and Signals of Host Manipulation by Brood-Parasitic Young

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