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Can Skylarks Alauda arvensis discriminate a parasite nestling? Possible case of nestling Cuckoo Cuculus canorus ejection by its host parents

Hegemann, Arne LU and Voesten, Rob (2011) In Ardea 99(1). p.117-120
Abstract
The Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus is an obligate brood parasite and many studies have dealt with egg rejection by host species. However, evidence for ejection of Cuckoo nestlings by host parents has not been reported. Here we describe an observation of a Skylark Alauda arvensis pair that probably ejected a young Cuckoo and subsequently raised their own offspring. This was the only case we detected Cuckoo parasitism among 348 Skylark nests in our study area in the northern Netherlands, while we found about 21% of 43 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis nests being parasitized by Cuckoos.
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author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
avian brood parasites, brood parasitism, evolutionary host-parasite arms, races, nestling discrimination, nestling ejection, parasitizing
in
Ardea
volume
99
issue
1
pages
117 - 120
publisher
Nederlandse Ornithologische Unie
external identifiers
  • wos:000290827200014
  • scopus:79960626465
ISSN
0373-2266
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
b77c2685-3d0d-4562-a6d2-594d4eb3d773 (old id 4732095)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:27:24
date last changed
2022-01-27 19:19:40
@article{b77c2685-3d0d-4562-a6d2-594d4eb3d773,
  abstract     = {{The Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus is an obligate brood parasite and many studies have dealt with egg rejection by host species. However, evidence for ejection of Cuckoo nestlings by host parents has not been reported. Here we describe an observation of a Skylark Alauda arvensis pair that probably ejected a young Cuckoo and subsequently raised their own offspring. This was the only case we detected Cuckoo parasitism among 348 Skylark nests in our study area in the northern Netherlands, while we found about 21% of 43 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis nests being parasitized by Cuckoos.}},
  author       = {{Hegemann, Arne and Voesten, Rob}},
  issn         = {{0373-2266}},
  keywords     = {{avian brood parasites; brood parasitism; evolutionary host-parasite arms; races; nestling discrimination; nestling ejection; parasitizing}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{117--120}},
  publisher    = {{Nederlandse Ornithologische Unie}},
  series       = {{Ardea}},
  title        = {{Can Skylarks Alauda arvensis discriminate a parasite nestling? Possible case of nestling Cuckoo Cuculus canorus ejection by its host parents}},
  volume       = {{99}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}