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A Model System For Coevolution: Avian Brood Parasitism

November 2003
Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 21(1):481-508

November 2003
21(1):481-508

DOI:10.1146/annurev.es.21.110190.002405

Authors:

Stephen I Rothstein

University of California, Santa Barbara

Numbers of species showing various rejection rates of experimentally introduced nonmimetic eggs (models or real ones) in three parasite-host systems. Rejection rate is the proportion of nests tested at which rejection occurred. The graph includes only species for which experiments have been done on five or more nests. N's for most species are more than 10 nests and for several, 50 or more . Data on European Cuckoo hosts (28 , 95 , liSa, 162) include only passerines deemed to be suitable hosts (28) because cuckoos very rarely parasitize species other than their usual hosts. Data on cowbird hosts (mostly from Refs. 8, 23, 83, 124. See Ref 135a for a complete tabulation.) include all passerines that have been tested because cowbirds parasitize virtually all passerines including some that are often or usually unsuitable because of diet (1 10, 128).

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Content uploaded by Stephen I Rothstein

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     

       

   

  



  

         

   

       





 

           

 

           



            

            

          

  

   

  



     

 



 

       

         





    

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 

         

      

  

        



      

         

     



  



      



         

    

          

 

 

          

            

      

     

    

      



      

 

            

 



  



         

 

        

       

     

             

  

     

  

 

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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        

 



 

            



          

   

       



    

          

           

         

       

   

 

     

 

           

          

  

    

   

      

     



  

 



   

   



           

    

 



Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

  

       

    



 

 

          



  

           

  

           

           

       



  

 

    

           

          

          

   

     

  

  

        

 

  

 

   

        

          

    

  

            

 

           

 

            

   

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 





   

      

   



           



          

          

      

           

        

 

          

   

   

 

  

 

 

         

           

 

         



     

          

              





     



    

           

 

  

            

 

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

        



   

         

  

 

         

  

    

 

  



       

           

          

   



       

   

      

          



      

     

    



           

           

  

          

 

        

         

  

  

        



       

    

   

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

      

   

   

           

           

        

  

      

    

            

         





    

 

           

   

 

      

 

      

            

   

            

 

         



   



   

    

  

         

  



          



           



      

  



Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

 





        

 



         

           

 

     

      

        

  

        



    

         

 

          



    

          



    

         



           





       

  



             

 

    

 

           

         

           

      

           

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

          

   

    

  

      

            

  

     

      

          

        

       



  

        

    

            



       

   

 

        

       

   

    

     





          

 

           

      

            

  

            

       





          

    

      

      

         

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

         

         

 



    

         





           

   



        



  

  



         

       

     

    

          

            

        

        

    

 

       

 



         

        

         

          

           

  

      

         

          

          



  



Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

           

    

   

        

 

            

  

       



      



        

     

       

      

    

            

     





 

          

           

         

     



 

 

  

         

  

  

     



     



    



            

        

   

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

      

       

      

         

         

 

   

   

      



         

         

         

         

       

          



        

  

          

        

 





          

     

     

 

        

       



 

      

 

 

 

   

         

 

  

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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  



            

 

       

          



     

  

             

      

          

    

         



          

      



         

    

 

  

       





    

     

     

          

 

  

         

          

           

          

       

   

 

      

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

         

      



  

   

      



          

         

     

      

          

  

     

      

         

         

   

  

    



   

   

      

           

          

          

          

     

    

           

     



   

    

   









   

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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  

        

      

   

     

          

 

         

     

  

        



   

            

 

      



   

   

         

   

 

      

 

 



       

           

  

  

 



        

    

    

           



   

   

           



  

             

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

     

         

 

  

      

      

 

      

      

   

 

           



 

 

      

   

  

           

   



 

        



         

  

  

          

       

           

           

         

         





 

           

        

        

          

 

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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  

           

 

       

      

  

      



       

       

         

 

  

         



   



 

          

   

     

    

  



 

          

    

            



   

     

          

 

         

          

 

     



         

         

         



       

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

  

     

           

         

           

  

   

    

          

           

        

          

        

      

        

          

           

  

          

         

       

      

       

           

            



     

          

     

  

           

     

   

    

 

     

  

         



     

     

           

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

      



 



 

   

    

    

   

   

          

       

    

  

         



         



     



       







   

     

 

   

  

 

          

  

         

          

     

    

    

  

 

 

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

  

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 

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

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







     

    

  

    

  

           

             

      

     

            

     

    

         

        



       





           

      

     



 

           

        

         

           





      

     

           

 

           

  





       

       

           

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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  

          

            

          

          

   

 

 

      







    



      

    

           

     

      

           



 

           

 



         



            

   

           

     

 

   

            



       

        

  



     



Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 

    



  

  

 





    

            

   

         

    

             



    

         

          





              

         

   

 

      

    

     

  

     

    

      

    

      

    

    



    

   

   

    

   

      

    

    

    

   

  

   

   

 

       

     

  

   

       

     

 

 

      

    

  



    

 

     

 

      



 

 

     

 

    

   



      

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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    

   

 

   

     

     

   



    

      

  

     

       

     

   

      

      

    

   

     



      

  

   

   

      

     

  

       

    



     

  

 

      

  

  

 

  

        

    

    

   

       

      

    

   

     

        

     

    



     



   



     

     

     

 

    

  

      

   

  

       

      

   

    

   

      

    

   

 

        

   

     

   

  

      

    

    

      

  

    

        

    

      

       

     

    



     

     



      

     



       

     

    

       

     



  

     

     

   

       

   

     

    



     

   

    

      

   

      

    

   

  

        

   

    

      

    



      

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

Access provided by University of California - Santa Barbara on 10/22/19. For personal use only.

 

  

     

  

      

    

   

     

     

       

 

   



      

    

  

      

   

   

    



      

      

     



    

     

      

     

   

    

      

  

      

   

   

        

   

     

   

  

   

   

     

 

       

  

 

      

     



    

     

     

   

    

   

    

  

    

  

      

     



 

    

  

      

   

     

  

    

      

   

 

     

  

 

     

  

    

    



       

     

   

   

   

  

   

     

    



      

   

      



   

 

     

  

       

   

    



     

   

    

       

  

    



    

   

   

    

 

 

  

  

  

      

    

   

 

    

     

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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    

   



     

      



    

    

       

   

    

     

  

     

    

  

   



   

    

   

 

     

   

     

  

     

   

   

  

       

    

 

   

     

     

    

   

 

    

  

    

     

  

 

     

     

   

     

   

    

      

 

    

 

 

 

  

   

       

    

  

     

  

      

 

    

    

  

     

   

   

    

   

     

     

     

      

 

     

      

  

 

   

  

      

  

   

    

   

     

  

     

  

     

    

    

 

      



     

 

     

   

  

      

   

       

 

    

  

 

       

     

   

       

    

 

      

     

    

    

   

 

       

     

     

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

Access provided by University of California - Santa Barbara on 10/22/19. For personal use only.

 

  

 

       

      

  

    

  



       

    

    

     

     

 

      

      

    

   

     

    





     

 

    



  

     

  

    

  

     

     

   



      

    

  

  

      

  

   

   

     

   

 

      

    

      

   

     

 

      

   

     



  

     

     

    

 

  

   

   

  

       

    

   

      

     

   

   



      

  

 

      

  

     

 

        





     



      

    

       

     

  

     

      



      

     

 

    

    

    

 

   

      

    

    

      

    

   

   

     

   

      

     

    



     

    

  

      

  

  

       

   

  

    

   

   

   

     

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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     

   

     

    

    

 

      

   

    

    



      

     

     

   

      

    

    

   



    

     

   

 

    

   

  

    

     

   



   

     

       

  

       

  

      

     

    

     

    

   

    

  

    

   

 

       

   

  

     

     



   

  



    

 

        

   

  

     

  

 

 

       

 

   

    

      

  

       

    

   

    



        

    

     

   

     

       

  

  

    

     

   

   

       

   

      

     

     

       

  

    

 

     

      

   

    

 

   

    

     

  

     



    

    

    

     

    

 

     

      

   



     

      

      

  

    

    

 

     

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

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 



     



     

      

   

      

  

   

    

   

  

  

      

    

      

  

    

 

     

  

    

  

      

   

    

      

     

    

  

     

   

  

       



    

     

      

     

   

       

     



      

    



    

    

  



 

       

  

     

     



      

 

 

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

Access provided by University of California - Santa Barbara on 10/22/19. For personal use only.

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

Access provided by University of California - Santa Barbara on 10/22/19. For personal use only.

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1990.21:481-508. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

Access provided by University of California - Santa Barbara on 10/22/19. For personal use only.

New record and extension of altitudinal distribution of parasitism by the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) on the Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) in the urban area of Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador. Nuevo registro y ampliación de distribución altitudinal de parasitismo del vaquero brilloso (Molothrus bonariensis) sobre el gorrión criollo (Zonotrichia capensis) en el área urbana de Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador

Article

Full-text available

May 2024

Los casos de parasitismo del vaquero brilloso (Molothrus bonariensis) usando al gorrión criollo (Zonotrichia capensis) han sido reportados únicamente en zonas urbanas por debajo de los 2817 msnm en Ecuador. Entre enero y marzo de 2022, en la ciudad de Quito, Ecuador, a 3040 msnm, registramos un caso de parasitismo de M. bonariensis usando al gorrión Z. capensis como hospedero. Observamos al volantón de M. bonariensis solicitando insistentemente ser alimentado por los adultos del gorrión Z. capensis durante un periodo de 58 días, hasta que el volantón abandonó los cuidados parentales. Este caso representa una ampliación de 223 m en el rango altitudinal de parasitismo entre estas dos especies y aporta a la información de la expansión y colonización de M. bonariensis en zonas altoandinas. Nuestro registro de una más larga duración del periodo de cuidado parental del volantón tiene implicaciones en la relación parásito-hospedero, requiriendo de mayor gasto energético por hospederos pequeños.

Pale-breasted thrush (Turdus leucomelas) feeds nestlings of the brood parasite shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) more and faster than its own nestlings

Article

May 2024

As an evolutionary response to losses caused by brood parasite birds, host species present anti parasitism strategies that may involve the detection and rejection of parasitic eggs and nestlings or the abandonment of the parasitized nest. However, little is known about the capacity of detect and reject the parasitic offspring by hosts in Neotropical birds. Here, we hypothesized that the pale-breasted thrush (Turdus leucomelas) discriminates nestlings of the brood parasite shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) when providing food. We tested the following predictions (1) thrush nestlings in parasitized nests increase the frequency of begging behavior in response to the loud parasite chicks. As a consequence of host discrimination, (2) thrush nestlings are fed more often than cowbird nestlings, and (3) the time taken by the host parent to select a nestling to be fed is longer for parasite nestlings. We found that the frequency of “lift the head and beg” compared to “lift the head” behavior was higher for cowbirds than for its thrush nestmates in parasitized nests, but thrush nestlings did not change their begging behavior in parasitized and non-parasitized nests. Cowbirds were fed faster and more frequently than thrush nestlings, suggesting that the exaggerated parasite begging calls is an efficient strategy to exploit the parental care provided by pale-breasted thrushes. We conclude that there is no parental discrimination by thrush parents in favor of their own offspring and that the behavior of thrush nestlings is similar when the nestmate is a shiny cowbird or a sibling.

Intergenomic signatures of coevolution between Tasmanian devils and an infectious cancer

Article

Mar 2024
P NATL ACAD SCI USA

Coevolution is common and frequently governs host–pathogen interaction outcomes. Phenotypes underlying these interactions often manifest as the combined products of the genomes of interacting species, yet traditional quantitative trait mapping approaches ignore these intergenomic interactions. Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), an infectious cancer afflicting Tasmanian devils ( Sarcophilus harrisii ), has decimated devil populations due to universal host susceptibility and a fatality rate approaching 100%. Here, we used a recently developed joint genome-wide association study (i.e., co-GWAS) approach, 15 y of mark-recapture data, and 960 genomes to identify intergenomic signatures of coevolution between devils and DFTD. Using a traditional GWA approach, we found that both devil and DFTD genomes explained a substantial proportion of variance in how quickly susceptible devils became infected, although genomic architectures differed across devils and DFTD; the devil genome had fewer loci of large effect whereas the DFTD genome had a more polygenic architecture. Using a co-GWA approach, devil–DFTD intergenomic interactions explained ~3× more variation in how quickly susceptible devils became infected than either genome alone, and the top genotype-by-genotype interactions were significantly enriched for cancer genes and signatures of selection. A devil regulatory mutation was associated with differential expression of a candidate cancer gene and showed putative allele matching effects with two DFTD coding sequence variants. Our results highlight the need to account for intergenomic interactions when investigating host–pathogen (co)evolution and emphasize the importance of such interactions when considering devil management strategies.

Habitat amount and edge effects, not perch proximity, nest exposure, or vegetation diversity affect cowbird parasitism in agricultural landscapes

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2024
LANDSCAPE ECOL

Context Prior research documented relationships between brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) brood parasitism and edge effects, proximity of perches, and nest exposure. Those relationships have not been evaluated in agroecosystems containing extremes of fragmentation and vegetation diversity. Objectives We compared three existing hypotheses on how cowbirds locate host nests with two new hypotheses regarding habitat amount and vegetation diversity to determine how the configuration and location of agricultural conservation practices affect grassland bird nest parasitism rates and predicted rates for eight common conservation practices. Methods We assessed cowbird parasitism of grassland bird nests on corn and soybean farms in Iowa, USA, and measured perch proximity, nest exposure, edge effects, habitat amount, and vegetation diversity for each nest. We fit a global generalized linear mixed-effects model and compared importance of model parameters using odds ratios. We predicted parasitism likelihood for every subset model and averaged predictions to explore individual effects. Results The variables that most influenced parasitism rates included main effects for nest initiation day-of-season (OR = 0.71, CI95 = 0.60–0.84) and the landscape variables of distance to nearest crop edge (0.63, 0.51–0.76) and proportion of grass land cover within 660 m (0.75, 0.57–1.00). We found little support that perch proximity, nest exposure, or native vegetation diversity affected parasitism. We also assessed parasitism likelihood by conservation practice and found no significant differences. Conclusions Our results provide evidence to support the edge effect and habitat amount hypotheses, but not the nest exposure, vegetation diversity, or perch proximity hypotheses.

Egg rejection from dark cavities: compensation for chromatic changes in nest illumination by a cuckoo host

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2024

The effect of Common Cuckoo parasitism on the annual productivity of a host population

Article

May 2024

Alfred Trnka

Asian koel rapidly locates host breeding in novel nest sites

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2024

Avian brood parasites depend upon locating host nests to lay their eggs. However, how brood parasites locate host nests and select the nests for parasitism remains poorly studied. Here, we examined how a non‐evicting brood parasite, the Asian koel ( Eudynamys scolopaceus ) were able to locate host nests in locally novel nest sites. We provided a set of novel nest sites (i.e., nestboxes, n = 100) to the common myna ( Acridotheres tristis ), a regular host of the Asian koel, at a field site in Central Bangladesh. We found that common myna quickly utilized the novel breeding sites ( n = 99 nests across 59 boxes) and similarly, 21.2% of these nests were parasitized by the Asian koel. Unsurprisingly, none of the inactive nest boxes were parasitized, neither were empty nests of common myna (i.e., either predated or fledged clutches, thus lack of parental activity, n = 83). Our results provide an experimental demonstration of the Asian koel ability to rapidly locate nests in locally novel nest sites, potentially facilitated by close monitoring of host activity and behavior around the nest site. However, the underlying mechanisms for this rapid adjustment to novel nest sites remain unresolved.

Interspecific Brood Parasitism

Chapter

May 2022

Joseph F. Di Liberto

Brooding

Chapter

May 2022

Ines Braga Goncalves

Coevolution

Chapter

May 2022

Vishwa Gandhi

Brood parasitism, the importance of experiments and host defences of avifaunas on different continents

Article

Jan 1992

Stephen I Rothstein

Cuckoo Hosts in Southern Africa

Article

Jun 1967

The yellow-shouldered blackbird—present and future

Article

Jan 1976

Co-evolution of the cuckoo Cuculus canorus and a regular cuckoo host

Article

Jan 1981
ORNIS FENNICA

L. Von Haartman

Mechanism of increased puncture resistance of eggs of brown-headed cowbirds

Article

Jan 1989

J. Picman

Behavior and songs of hybrid parasitic finches

Article

Jan 1980

Robert Payne

Cowbird Parasitism, Host Fitness, and Age of the Host Female in an Island Song Sparrow Population

Article

May 1981
CONDOR

James N. M. Smith

Mandarte Island, British Columbia, was colonized by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) after an intensive study of the resident Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) population. I studied the Song Sparrow population from 1975 to 1979, when it was parasitized by one to three female cowbirds a year. Breeding success was lower than during the earlier study, but comparisons of breeding success before and after the arrival of cowbirds each year and after cowbird removal in 1977 suggested that cowbirds were not a major cause of the reduced breeding success. Parasitism depressed the breeding success of adult female Song Sparrows by 0.6 independent young per nest and that of yearling females by 0.5 independent young per nest. The costs of parasitism were almost entirely due to egg removal by female cowbirds. Parasitized nests of adult females contained 0.8 fewer eggs than unparasitized nests. The corresponding figure for yearling females was 0.5 eggs. Nests of adult females were parasitized twice as often as nests of yearling females. A behavioral explanation is proposed for this last difference. Song Sparrows with cowbird nest mates weighed less than control young, but survival of young from six days after hatching to independence did not decrease if there was a cowbird in the brood. Female Song Sparrows that were parasitized one or more times during a breeding season raised as many young to independence per year as females that were not parasitized. This was because parasitized females made more breeding attempts per year.

Der Brutparasitismus der Viduinae als ethologisches Problem

Article

Jan 1964
Z Tierpsychol

J. Nicolai

Impact of Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism on the reproductive success of the Solitary Vireo

Article

Jan 1989

Social Dominance, Mating and Spacing Systems, Female Fecundity, and Vocal Dialects in Captive and Free-Ranging Brown-Headed Cowbirds

Article

Jan 1986

Molothrus ater shows a diurnal cycle in sociality, being relatively asocial in the morning and social in the afternoon. Although cowbirds vary geographically in the extent of their daily movements, all populations share a similar opportunistic approach to their use of space for breeding and feeding. Female cowbirds have a similarly high rate of egg laying throughout the species' range, despite considerable variation in habitats and host species. Yearling males have lower breeding success and body weights than adults in some parts of the US West, whereas such differences may not occur in the East. Cowbirds have highly divergent vocal dialects in some parts of California, but little vocal variation elsewhere in the state. -from Authors

A Model System For Coevolution: Avian Brood Parasitism

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Comment: Why is conspecific nest parasitism more frequent in waterfowl than in other birds?