The sight of an adult brood parasite near the nest is an insufficient cue for a honeyguide host to reject foreign eggs. (11th April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tong, Wenfei; Horrocks, Nicholas P. C.; Spottiswoode, Claire N.
• Editors: Burthe, Sarah
• Is Part Of: Ibis. Volume 157:Number 3(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 626
• Page End: 630
• Publication Date: 2015-04-11
• Subjects: brood parasitism -- egg rejection -- frontline defences -- mobbing; Birds -- Periodicals; 598
• DOI: 10.1111/ibi.12254
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0019-1019

Abstract

Abstract : Hosts of brood‐parasitic birds typically evolve anti‐parasitism defences, including mobbing of parasitic intruders at the nest and the ability to recognize and reject foreign eggs from their clutches. The Greater Honeyguide Indicator indicator is a virulent brood parasite that punctures host eggs and kills host young, and accordingly, a common host, the Little Bee‐eater Merops pusillus frequently rejects entire clutches that have been parasitized. We predicted that given the high costs of accidentally rejecting an entire clutch, and that the experimental addition of a foreign egg is insufficient to induce this defence, Bee‐eaters require the sight of an adult parasite near the nest as an additional cue for parasitism before they reject a clutch. We found that many Little Bee‐eater parents mobbed Greater Honeyguide dummies while ignoring barbet control dummies, showing that they recognized them as a threat. Surprisingly, however, neither a dummy Honeyguide nor the presence of a foreign egg, either separately or in combination, was sufficient to stimulate egg rejection.