Dense canopy cover over House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) nests increases latency of brood parasitism by Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis)
Vanina D. Fiorini A B , Diego T. Tuero A and Juan C. Reboreda A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina.
B Corresponding author. Email: vfiorini@ege.fcen.uba.ar
Emu 112(1) 55-59 https://doi.org/10.1071/MU11038
Submitted: 16 May 2011 Accepted: 19 September 2011 Published: 24 February 2012
Abstract
Obligate brood parasites must find host nests in which to lay their eggs. The search for a suitable host nest is predicted to be more difficult if the host nest is well-concealed by vegetation (nest-concealment hypothesis) and brood parasitism of better concealed nests should be less common than parasitism of less well-concealed nests. We experimentally tested this hypothesis by placing nest-boxes used by House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) in woodland sites with sparse and dense canopy cover and measuring the frequency (proportion of nests parasitised), latency (days elapsed since laying of the first host egg and parasitism), and intensity (number of parasite eggs in parasitised nests) of parasitism by Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis). The frequency and intensity of parasitism did not differ between sites with sparse or dense canopy cover, but the latency of parasitism was shorter in sites with sparse cover than in sites with denser cover. Brood parasites that find host nests more quickly have higher reproductive success, whereas House Wrens have higher reproductive success when parasites lay their eggs later during the incubation period, owing to reduced mortality of host nestlings. Because woodland degradation is associated with sparser canopy cover, host species nesting in degraded woodlands may suffer more from parasitism than those nesting in protected woodlands.
Additional keywords: nest-concealment hypothesis, nest cover.
References
Antonov, A., Stokke, B. G., Moksnes, A., and Røskaft, E. (2007). Factors influencing the risk of Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus parasitism on Marsh Warblers Acrocephalus palustris. Journal of Avian Biology 38, 390–393.Brittingham, M. C., and Temple, T. A. (1996). Vegetation around parasitised and non-parasitised nests within deciduous forest. Journal of Field Ornithology 67, 406–413.
Burhans, D. E. (1997). Habitat and microhabitat features associated with cowbird parasitism in two forest edge cowbird hosts. Condor 99, 866–872.
| Habitat and microhabitat features associated with cowbird parasitism in two forest edge cowbird hosts.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Clarke, A. L., Øien, I. J., Honza, M., Moksnes, A., and Røskaft, E. (2001). Factors affecting Reed Warbler risk of brood parasitism by the Common Cuckoo. Auk 118, 534–538.
| Factors affecting Reed Warbler risk of brood parasitism by the Common Cuckoo.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Clotfelter, E. D. (1998). What cues do Brown-headed Cowbirds use to locate Red-winged Blackbird host nests? Animal Behaviour 55, 1181–1189.
| What cues do Brown-headed Cowbirds use to locate Red-winged Blackbird host nests?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Davies, N. B. (2000). ‘Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats.’ (Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.)
Fiorini, V. D., and Reboreda, J. C. (2006). Cues used by Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis) to locate and parasitise Chalk-browed Mockingbird (Mimus saturninus) nests. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 60, 379–385.
| Cues used by Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis) to locate and parasitise Chalk-browed Mockingbird (Mimus saturninus) nests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fiorini, V. D., Tuero, D. T., and Reboreda, J. C. (2009a). Host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by Shiny Cowbirds on Chalk-browed Mockingbirds. Behaviour 146, 1387–1403.
| Host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by Shiny Cowbirds on Chalk-browed Mockingbirds.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fiorini, V. D., Tuero, D. T., and Reboreda, J. C. (2009b). Shiny Cowbirds synchronize parasitism with host laying and puncture host eggs according to host characteristics. Animal Behaviour 77, 561–568.
| Shiny Cowbirds synchronize parasitism with host laying and puncture host eggs according to host characteristics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Grieef, P. M., and Sealy, S. G. (2000). Simulated host activity does not attract parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater). Bird Behaviour 13, 69–78.
Grim, T. (2002). Why is mimicry in cuckoo eggs sometimes so poor? Journal of Avian Biology 33, 302–305.
| Why is mimicry in cuckoo eggs sometimes so poor?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Honza, M., Taborsky, B., Taborsky, M., Teuschl, Y., Vogl, W., Moksnes, A., and Røskaft, E. (2002). Behaviour of female Common Cuckoos, Cuculus canorus, in the vicinity of host nests before and during egg laying: a radiotelemetry study. Animal Behaviour 64, 861–868.
| Behaviour of female Common Cuckoos, Cuculus canorus, in the vicinity of host nests before and during egg laying: a radiotelemetry study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hoy, G., and Ottow, J. (1964). Biological and oological studies of the molothrine cowbirds (Icteridae) of Argentina. Auk 81, 189–203.
Kattan, G. H. (1997). Shiny Cowbirds follow the ‘shot-gun’ strategy of brood parasitism. Animal Behaviour 53, 647–654.
| Shiny Cowbirds follow the ‘shot-gun’ strategy of brood parasitism.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Krüger, O. (2007). Cuckoos, cowbirds and hosts: adaptations, trade-offs and constraints. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 362, 1873–1886.
| Cuckoos, cowbirds and hosts: adaptations, trade-offs and constraints.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Larison, B., Laymon, S. A., Williams, P. L., and Smith, T. B. (1998). Song Sparrows vs. cowbird brood parasites: impacts of forest structure and nest-site selection. Condor 100, 93–101.
| Song Sparrows vs. cowbird brood parasites: impacts of forest structure and nest-site selection.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Mclaren, C. M., and Sealy, S. G. (2003). Factors influencing susceptibility of host nests to brood parasitism. Ethology, Ecology and Evolution 15, 343–353.
| Factors influencing susceptibility of host nests to brood parasitism.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Moskát, C., and Honza, M. (2000). Effect of nest and nest site characteristics on the risk of Cuckoo Cuculus canorus parasitism in the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus. Ecography 23, 335–341.
| Effect of nest and nest site characteristics on the risk of Cuckoo Cuculus canorus parasitism in the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Øien, I. J., Honza, M., Moksnes, A., and Roskaft, E. (1996). The risk of parasitism in relation to the distance from reed warbler nests to cuckoo perches. Journal of Animal Ecology 65, 147–153.
| The risk of parasitism in relation to the distance from reed warbler nests to cuckoo perches.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ortega, C. (1998). ‘Cowbirds and Other Brood Parasites.’ (University of Arizona Press: Tucson, AZ.)
Ribichich, A. M., and Protomastro, J. (1998). Woody vegetation structure of xeric forest stands under different edaphic site conditions and disturbance histories in the Biosphere Reserve ‘Parque Costero del Sur’, Argentina. Plant Ecology 139, 189–201.
| Woody vegetation structure of xeric forest stands under different edaphic site conditions and disturbance histories in the Biosphere Reserve ‘Parque Costero del Sur’, Argentina.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rothstein, S. I., and Robinson, S. K. (1998). The evolution and ecology of avian brood parasitism. In ‘Parasitic Birds and Their Hosts, Studies in Coevolution’. (Eds S. I. Rothstein and S. K. Robinson.) pp. 3–56. (Oxford University Press: New York.)
Saunders, C. A., Arcese, P., and O’Connor, K. D. (2003). Nest site characteristics in the Song Sparrow and parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds. Wilson Bulletin 115, 24–28.
| Nest site characteristics in the Song Sparrow and parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sharp, B. L., and Kus, B. E. (2006). Factors influencing the incidence of cowbird parasitism of Least Bell’s Vireos. Journal of Wildlife Management 70, 682–690.
| Factors influencing the incidence of cowbird parasitism of Least Bell’s Vireos.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Siegel, S., and Castellan, N. J. J. (1988). ‘Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences.’ (McGraw-Hill International Editions: New York.)
StatSoft (2001). ‘STATISTICA’, Version 6. (Statsoft: Tulsa, OK.)
Svagelj, W. S., Mermoz, M. E., and Fernández, G. J. (2003). Effect of egg type on the estimation of nest predation in passerines. Journal of Field Ornithology 74, 243–249.
Svagelj, W. S., Fernández, G. J., and Mermoz, M. E. (2009). Effects of nest-site characteristics and parental activity on cowbird parasitism and nest predation in Brown-and-yellow Marshbirds. Journal of Field Ornithology 80, 9–18.
| Effects of nest-site characteristics and parental activity on cowbird parasitism and nest predation in Brown-and-yellow Marshbirds.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Tuero, D. T., Fiorini, V. D., and Reboreda, J. C. (2007). Effects of Shiny Cowbird parasitism on different components of House Wren reproductive success. Ibis 149, 521–529.
| Effects of Shiny Cowbird parasitism on different components of House Wren reproductive success.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wiley, J. W. (1988). Host selection by the Shiny Cowbird. Condor 90, 289–303.
| Host selection by the Shiny Cowbird.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |