Article
Biology
Nicholas D. Antonson, Wendy M. Schelsky, Deryk Tolman, Rebecca M. Kilner, Mark E. Hauber
Summary: In the obligate brood parasitic brown-headed cowbird, chicks use a niche construction strategy by reducing larger, more competitive host broods to increase their own survival.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Qiuhui Yang, Xiangyang Chen, Ziqi Zhang, Jingru Han, Neng Wu, Canchao Yang
Summary: Birds often clean their nests and reject foreign eggs to ensure the survival of their own eggs. The study suggests that nest sanitation in barn swallows may be an evolutionary precursor to egg rejection. Both male and female barn swallows engage in nest sanitation and egg rejection, but females invest more time. This provides evidence for the evolutionary relationship between nest sanitation and egg rejection behaviors in barn swallows.
Article
Ornithology
Jonas Rafael Rodrigues Rosoni, Carla Suertegaray Fontana, Caio Jose Carlos
Summary: This study examined the breeding ecology of the Chestnut Seedeater in southeast South America. The researchers investigated clutch size, productivity, nestling sex ratio, and nest success. They found a relationship between environmental variables and the number of active nests, and the sex ratio of nestlings did not deviate from the expected ratio. Nest success was 31%, with predation being the leading cause of nest failure. The starting date was the main predictor of nest survival.
Article
Zoology
Alfredo Attisano, Kasper Hlebowicz, Roman Gula, Jorn Theuerkauf
Summary: The study found that adult fan-tailed gerygones can discriminate between different predator and brood parasite models and respond accordingly. Although adult gerygones do not show awareness of parasitism risk and do not increase nestling ejection rates following exposure to the cuckoo model.
Article
Ecology
Bruce E. Lyon, Alejandra Carminati, Genevieve Goggin, John M. Eadie
Summary: Obligate brood parasites rely completely on other species to raise their offspring. The evolution of obligate parasitism is likely due to the increased reproductive success that comes with being emancipated from parental care. However, the evolution of brood parasitism in black-headed ducks is puzzling because their self-feeding precocial offspring should not limit the reproductive potential of potential brood parasites. Experimental evidence suggests that high nest predation rates may have played a role in the evolution of brood parasitism in this duck.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jordan M. Herman, Vanina D. Fiorini, Ignacio Crudele, Juan C. Reboreda, Shawn A. Pladas, Andre P. Watson, Sarah E. Bush, Dale H. Clayton
Summary: This study examined the separate and combined effects of nest flies and cowbirds on the fitness of a shared bird host, and found that both parasites reduce host fitness, but without interactive effects. The study highlights the complexity of co-parasitism and the potential role of predators in exacerbating the effects on hosts.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jiaojiao Wang, Laikun Ma, Xiangyang Chen, Canchao Yang
Summary: The study demonstrates that nest parasites can harm hosts, leading to the evolution of anti-parasitic behaviors in hosts. In the case of oriental reed warblers, hosts showed stronger responses during the nestling stage compared to the egg stage, indicating potential differences in their perception of different threats.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Yasuyuki Choh, Arne Janssen
Summary: Many animal species protect their eggs against predators, and some species take advantage of this by adding their eggs to those of the protecting species. We studied two tiny predatory mite species that share a food source and face intraguild predation, and found that one species acts as a brood parasite by adding its eggs to the eggs of the other species. The brood parasite prefers to add its eggs to the eggs of the protecting host species rather than another non-protecting mite species, and this behavior only occurs in the presence of egg predators.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jinggang Zhang, Peter Santema, Zixuan Lin, Lixing Yang, Meijun Liu, Jianqiang Li, Wenhong Deng, Bart Kempenaers
Summary: The arms race between brood parasites and their hosts provides a classic model to study coevolution. Hosts often reject the parasitic egg, and brood parasites should therefore select host nests in which the colour of the eggs best matches that of their own. We reported on a study of Daurian redstarts, which show a distinct egg-colour dimorphism, with females laying either blue or pink eggs. The study demonstrated that cuckoos actively choose redstart nests in which the egg colour matches the colour of their own eggs, providing direct experimental evidence in support of the egg matching hypothesis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
H. M. Scharf, W. M. Schelsky, M. L. Chamberlain, M. E. Hauber
Summary: Communication between parents and dependent offspring is crucial for reproduction and anti-predation. Prothonotary warblers do not learn alarm calls of brown-headed cowbirds from breeding experiences, and cowbirds may use a generalized alarm call strategy.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Hee-Jin Noh, Frances Jacomb, Ros Gloag, Naomi E. Langmore
Summary: Through studying the interaction between the large-billed gerygones and the parasites, it is found that the gerygones have evolved a series of defense mechanisms, including frontline defenses and chick stage defense. In resisting parasitism, although frontline defenses are low-cost, they are ineffective, while chick stage defenses are high-cost but highly effective.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
John T. Veon, Brett A. DeGregorio, Luke W. Naylor, Kenneth J. Reinecke, Brad C. Dabbert, Dean W. Demarest, Kevin M. Hartke, David G. Krementz
Summary: Body mass of overwintering waterfowl has increased in recent decades, potentially due to changes in winter climate, food availability, and population dynamics. This study analyzed mallard body mass in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and found that it has increased by approximately 6% from 1979 to 2021. Within-year variation in body mass was related to rainfall and river flooding, while long-term increases were not associated with changes in these factors. Further research is needed to determine the specific mechanisms driving these changes and their implications for waterfowl fitness.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Longwu Wang, Gangbin He, Canchao Yang, Anders Pape Moller, Wei Liang
Summary: The study found that female common cuckoos prefer large host nests for parasitism and parasitism was more common when larger, higher, and more exposed host nests were available. These results suggest that nest size and location play a role in the probability of cuckoo parasitism.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emily W. Johnson, Susan B. McRae
Summary: This study explores the use of eggshell pattern to identify maternal signatures in birds and investigates the identification of renesting females and cases of conspecific brood parasitism. The research shows that egg pattern can be used to identify similarities among clutches and reveal previously unrecognized site fidelity and breeding interference by females when combined with spatial and temporal data.
Article
Environmental Studies
Amanda M. Nelson, Nicolas E. Quintana Ashwell, Christopher D. Delhom, Drew M. Gholson
Summary: The challenge of depleting the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA) requires reducing groundwater withdrawal for irrigation, increasing aquifer recharge, and protecting water quality for sustainable water use. The National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research (NCAAR) uses big data to improve irrigation methods, provide farm management recommendations, and increase water use efficiency across the region.
