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Wang J, Zhou Q, Zuo T, Wang L, Ma L, Hou J. Three sympatric host nestlings eavesdrop on cuckoo nestling distress calls. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11437. [PMID: 38756686 PMCID: PMC11097003 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
In predator-prey interactions, the prey faces extreme challenges from predation, which drives the evolution of defense or anti-predator mechanisms. Compared with adult birds, nestlings are more vulnerable but not helpless. However, data on whether nestlings eavesdrop on the danger signals transmitted by other prey nestlings and the mechanisms of eavesdropping remain limited. In brood parasitism, common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) nestlings, raised by host adults who are not closely related, offer an instructive system for studying the transmission and recognition of danger signals among nestlings of different species that share special relationships. We played back the distress calls of common cuckoo nestlings to nestlings of three sympatric host species (the oriental reed warbler Acrocephalus orientalis, which is a primary host of the common cuckoo, the reed parrotbill Paradoxornis heudei, an occasional host, and the vinous-throated parrotbill Sinosuthora webbiana, which is not parasitized in the study area) to investigate whether the host nestlings reduced their begging behavior. We also quantified the degree of inhibition toward begging behavior for these nestlings. The results revealed that, in response to the distress calls, the three sympatric host species markedly suppressed their begging behavior. This response can likely be attributed to the innate response of host nestlings caused by the general characteristics of distress calls, rather than the acoustic similarity and phylogenetic relationship between host nestlings and cuckoo nestlings. Furthermore, we observed that upon hearing the distress calls of cuckoo nestlings, the oriental reed warbler nestlings exhibited the greatest reduction in the total number of calls compared to the other two host species, potentially owing to stronger predation and parasitic pressures. This study suggests that host nestlings can detect danger signals emitted by parasitic nestlings; however, further investigation is needed to determine whether they can respond to distress calls from unfamiliar nestlings in different regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Wang
- College of Life Science, Hebei UniversityBaodingChina
- Engineering Research Center of Ecological Safety and Conservation in Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei (Xiong’an New Area) of MOEBaodingChina
| | - Qindong Zhou
- School of Life SciencesGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Taijun Zuo
- College of Life Science, Hebei UniversityBaodingChina
| | - Longwu Wang
- School of Life SciencesGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Laikun Ma
- College of Life Science, Hebei UniversityBaodingChina
- Department of Biology and Food ScienceHebei Normal University for NationalitiesChengdeChina
| | - Jianhua Hou
- College of Life Science, Hebei UniversityBaodingChina
- Engineering Research Center of Ecological Safety and Conservation in Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei (Xiong’an New Area) of MOEBaodingChina
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Zhao L, Zhong G, Liu Q, Zhang X, Wang J, Liang W. Behavioral responses to predator and heterospecific alarm calls are habitat-specific in Eurasian tree sparrows. Behav Processes 2024; 218:105043. [PMID: 38692462 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Acoustic communication plays a vital role in predator-prey interactions. Although habitat structure has been shown to affect anti-predator tactics, little is known about how animals vary their behaviors in response to predator calls or heterospecific alarm calls in different environments. Here we used sound playbacks to test the responses of Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) foraging in harvested/unharvested rice paddy and open residential area. In the first experiment, we tested their behavioral responses to dove calls, male common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) calls, hawk-like calls mimicked by female common cuckoo, sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) calls, and human yell calls produced to scare birds (predator signal playbacks). In the second experiment, we tested their behavioral responses to the Japanese tit's (Parus minor) territorial songs and alarm calls (heterospecific alarm signal playbacks). Results showed that the tree sparrows had less fleeing in unharvested ripe rice paddy than in harvested rice paddy and open residential area. In predator signal playbacks, call type affected the escape behavior of sparrows in unharvested rice paddy and open residential area but not harvested rice paddy. In alarm signal playbacks, tit alarm calls evoked more fleeing than territorial songs in harvested rice paddy and open residential area but not unharvested rice paddy. These results suggest that anthropogenic habitat changes may influence avian anti-predator tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longhui Zhao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Guo Zhong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Qiqi Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China.
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China.
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Ma L, Liu W, Pan P, Hou J, Liang W. Oriental reed warblers retain strong egg recognition abilities during the nestling stage. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11063. [PMID: 38380067 PMCID: PMC10877555 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Egg recognition and rejection are the most common and effective anti-parasitic strategies against avian brood parasitism in terms of maintaining stability over time and plasticity in response to environmental cues. Conversely, parasites have evolved multiple counter-adaptations to the anti-parasitic defenses of hosts. Among them, the crypsis hypothesis suggests that eggs that appear more cryptic in color and are closely matched to the environment are helping to counter the egg recognition strategy of the host. In this study, we investigated whether the egg recognition ability of Oriental reed warblers (Acrocephalus orientalis), a common host of common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus), changed during different reproductive stages by using model egg experiments. The effect of the crypsis hypothesis on the egg recognition ability of the hosts was also investigated by controlling the color contrast between the inside of the experimental nests and the model eggs. The results showed that the Oriental reed warbler retained strong egg recognition abilities, which were similar to the incubation stage (GLMMs: F 1,27 = 0.424, p = .521), even after entering the nestling stage and preferentially rejected model eggs with distinct contrasting colors (binomial test: Fisher's exact, p = .016). These results are consistent with the crypsis hypothesis. The present study suggests that the host retains a strong egg recognition ability even during the nestling stage and that cryptic-colored eggs that are closely matched with the breeding nest environment help counter the host's egg recognition abilities and increase the chances of successful parasitism by cuckoos. However, the effectiveness of cryptic egg may be weaker than mimic egg in countering egg recognition and rejection by hosts with open-cup nests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laikun Ma
- School of Life SciencesHebei UniversityBaodingChina
- Department of Biology and Food ScienceHebei Normal University for NationalitiesChengdeChina
| | - Wei Liu
- School of Life SciencesHebei UniversityBaodingChina
| | - Peng Pan
- School of Life SciencesHebei UniversityBaodingChina
| | - Jianhua Hou
- School of Life SciencesHebei UniversityBaodingChina
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
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Yin D, Yu J, Jin J, Shen C, Zhang L, Li X, Zhang K, Wang H. Nest box entrance hole size can influence nest site selection and nest defence behaviour in Japanese tits. Anim Cogn 2023:10.1007/s10071-023-01791-0. [PMID: 37231181 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01791-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Birds have the ability to assess the risk of predation in their environment and adjust their antipredation strategies based on this risk information. However, whether nest site selection has effect on subsequent nest defence behaviour has not been studied. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the Japanese tit (Parus minor) exhibits a nest-box hole size preference and whether the entrance hole sizes of nest boxes influence the nest defence behaviour of tits. We hung nest boxes with three different entrance hole sizes (diameters: 6.5 cm, 4.5 cm and 2.8 cm) in our study sites and investigated which nest boxes were occupied by tits. In addition, by using dummy-presentation experiments, we observed the nest defence behaviours of tits that nested in boxes with 2.8 cm and 4.5 cm entrance holes towards common chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus, a small nest predator able to enter these holes) and Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris, a large nest predator unable to enter the 2.8 cm entrance hole). The tits that bred in nest boxes with 2.8 cm entrance holes exhibited more intense nest defence responses to chipmunks than to squirrels. In contrast, the tits that bred in nest boxes with 4.5 cm entrance holes exhibited similar nest defence responses to chipmunks and squirrels. Additionally, Japanese tits that bred in nest boxes with 2.8 cm entrance holes exhibited more intense behavioural responses to chipmunks than those that bred in nest boxes with 4.5 cm entrance holes. Our results suggested that Japanese tits prefer to occupy nest boxes with small holes for breeding and that nest-box characteristics influenced their nest defence behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dake Yin
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Jiangping Yu
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.
| | - Jiangping Jin
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Chao Shen
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Xudong Li
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Keqin Zhang
- School of Zoological Science, Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology University, Jilin, 132109, China.
| | - Haitao Wang
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.
- Jilin Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun, 130024, China.
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Wang L, Zhao H, Luo H, He G, Yan H, Liang W. Importance of cooperation: How host nest defenses effectively prevent brood parasitism from the cuckoos. iScience 2023; 26:106458. [PMID: 37063465 PMCID: PMC10090214 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
As the frontline defense against avian brood parasitism, nest defense is important in reducing nest parasitism and increasing host fitness. However, systematic studies on its effectiveness (i.e., on whether it successfully prevents cuckoo parasitism) are scarce. Based on 214 video recordings from 10 years of field observations, we evaluated the effectiveness of nest defenses of the Oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) in deterring common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) parasitism. Under a breeding pair situation (≤ 2 hosts individuals), warblers were hardly effective in resisting the egg-laying of the cuckoo and many of the cuckoos under attack were able to complete the parasitic process without being harmed. However, when hosts ≥ 3 individuals, the warblers could effectively thwart the cuckoos and cause lethal damage to the cuckoo in partial cases. This indicated that the host group effectively resisted the cuckoo, demonstrating the importance of cooperation among host neighbors in resisting cuckoo parasitism.
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Zhu B, Zhang H, Chen Q, He Q, Zhao X, Sun X, Wang T, Wang J, Cui J. Noise affects mate choice based on visual information via cross-sensory interference. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 308:119680. [PMID: 35787421 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Animal communication is often hampered by noise interference. Noise masking has primarily been studied in terms of its unimodal effect on sound information provision and use, while little is known about its cross-modal effect and how animals weigh unimodal and multimodal courtship cues in noisy environments. Here, we examined the cross-modal effects of background noise on female visual perception of mate choice and female preference for multimodal displays (sound + vocal sac) in a species of treefrog. We tested female mate choices using audio/video playbacks in the presence and absence of noise (white noise band-filtered to match or mismatch female sensitive hearing range, heterospecific chorus). Surprisingly, multimodal displays do not improve receiver performance in noise. The heterospecific chorus and white noise band-filtered to match female sensitive hearing ranges, significantly reduced female responses to the attractive visual stimuli in addition to directly impairing auditory information use. Meanwhile, the cross-modal impacts of background noise are influenced to some extent by whether the noise band matches female sensitive hearing range and the difficulty of distinguishing tasks. Our results add to the evidence for cross-modal effects of noise and are the first to demonstrate that background noise can disrupt female responses to visual information related to mate choice, which may reduce the communication efficiency of audiovisual signals in noisy environments and impose fitness consequences. This study has key ecological and evolutionary implications because it illustrates how noise influences mate choice in wildlife via cross-sensory interference, which is crucial in revealing the function and evolution of multimodal signals in noisy environments as well as informing evidence-based conservation strategies for forecasting and mitigating the multimodal impacts of noise interference on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bicheng Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Haodi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qinghua Chen
- South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiaoling He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaomeng Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoqian Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Tongliang Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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Wang J, Ma L, Chen X, Yang C. Female Cuckoo Calls Deceive Their Hosts by Evoking Nest-Leaving Behavior: Variation under Different Levels of Parasitism. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12151990. [PMID: 35953979 PMCID: PMC9367515 DOI: 10.3390/ani12151990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Obligate brood parasite birds such as the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) can trick their hosts via a variety of means. Cuckoos are threats to the host nests but not to the host adults themselves. To successfully parasitize the host nests, female cuckoos have been hypothesized to distract the hosts’ attention from their nests by mimicking the calls of sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), a predator of the hosts. We performed playback experiments in two populations of the host oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) that have experienced different levels of parasitic pressure. We found that female cuckoo calls evoked both populations of the hosts to leave their nests more frequently than did the calls of male cuckoos or doves that do not pose threats to the hosts. This indicated that the call of the female cuckoo functions to deceive the host and thus favors host brood parasitism. However, we propose that such a deceiving effect of the female cuckoo call is due to the rapid cadence of the call rather than sparrowhawk mimicry. Abstract The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is an obligate brood parasite that has evolved a series of strategies to trick its hosts. The female cuckoo has been hypothesized to mimic the appearance and sounds of several raptors to deceive the hosts into exhibiting anti-predator behavior. Such behavior would relax the protection of the host nest and thus allow the female cuckoo to approach the host nest unopposed. Many anti-parasite strategies have been found to vary among geographical populations due to different parasitic pressures from cuckoos. However, the effect of female cuckoo calls related to different levels of parasitic pressure has not been examined. Here, we studied the effect of female cuckoo calls on the oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis), one of the major hosts of the common cuckoo, in two geographical populations experiencing different levels of parasite pressure. Four kinds of sounds were played back to the hosts: the calls from female common cuckoos, male common cuckoos, sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), and oriental turtle doves (Streptopelia orientalis). The results showed that the female cuckoo calls induced the hosts to leave their nests more frequently than the male cuckoo or dove calls in both populations, and two populations of the hosts reacted similarly to the female cuckoo calls, implying that the function of female cuckoo calls would not be affected by the difference in parasitism rate. This study indicates that female cuckoo calls function to distract the hosts’ attention from protecting their nests. However, we propose that such a deception by the female cuckoo call may not be due to the mimicry of sparrowhawk calls, but rather that the rapid cadence of the call that causes a sense of anxiety in the hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Laikun Ma
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China
- Department of Biology and Food Science, Hebei Normal University for Nationalities, Chengde 067000, China
| | - Xiangyang Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Canchao Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
- Correspondence:
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Wang J, Ma L, Chen X, Yang C. Common Cuckoo Nestling Adapts Its Begging Behavior to the Alarm Signaling System of a Host. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.830441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cuckoo nestlings thrive as avian brood parasites. To acquire sufficient food from the host parents, cuckoo nestlings generally make louder begging calls than host nestlings, but this may cause them to be more likely to attract the attention of predators. Studies have shown that nestlings would respond to the alarm calls of their parents by begging less, or crouching and remaining silent as an adaptation to reduce the risk of being heard by predators. Nevertheless, research is lacking on how parasite nestlings respond to alarm calls of their host parents. We studied the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) and one of the most common cuckoo host species, the oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis), using a playback experiment in Yongnianwa National Wetland Park during the breeding seasons from June to July, 2020–2021. The begging behaviors of either cuckoo or host nestlings were quantified by playing back the alarm calls of host adults toward common cuckoo, sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), or oriental turtle doves (Streptopelia orientalis). Meanwhile, normal begging without playback, playback of the natural singing (NS) of host adults, and background noise (BN) were included as behavioral reference, non-threatening comparison, and playback control, respectively. The results showed that the cuckoo and host nestlings produced similar levels of begging with or without playback of NS and BN; however, both types of nestlings inhibited their begging intensity after hearing the playback of alarm calls, although they did not respond differently to the various alarm call playbacks. This study therefore elucidated that coevolution has selected the common cuckoo nestlings that adapt their begging behavior to the parent–offspring communication of alarm signaling in their host, oriental reed warblers.
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Shen C, Yu J, Li X, Yue J, Wang H, Liang W. Responses of incubating females to female cuckoo calls in 2 hole-nesting bird species. Curr Zool 2021; 67:565-567. [PMID: 34616955 PMCID: PMC8489118 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Shen
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.,Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Jiangping Yu
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Xudong Li
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.,Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Jing Yue
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Haitao Wang
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
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Lawson SL, Enos JK, Gill SA, Hauber ME. Eavesdropping on Referential Yellow Warbler Alarm Calls by Red-Winged Blackbirds Is Mediated by Brood Parasitism Risk. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.706170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Referential alarm calls that denote specific types of dangers are common across diverse vertebrate lineages. Different alarm calls can indicate a variety of threats, which often require specific actions to evade. Thus, to benefit from the call, listeners of referential alarm calls must be able to decode the signaled threat and respond to it in an appropriate manner. Yellow warblers (Setophaga petechia) produce referential “seet” calls that signal to conspecifics the presence of nearby obligate brood parasitic brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), which lay their eggs in the nests of other species, including yellow warblers. Our previous playback experiments have found that red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), a species also parasitized by brown-headed cowbirds, eavesdrop upon and respond strongly to yellow warbler seet calls during the incubation stage of breeding with aggression similar to responses to both cowbird chatters and predator calls. To assess whether red-winged blackbird responses to seet calls vary with their own risk of brood parasitism, we presented the same playbacks during the nestling stage of breeding (when the risk of brood parasitism is lower than during incubation). As predicted, we found that blackbirds mediated their aggression toward both cowbird chatter calls and the warblers’ anti-parasitic referential alarm calls in parallel with the low current risk of brood parasitism during the nestling stage. These results further support that red-winged blackbirds flexibly respond to yellow warbler antiparasitic referential calls as a frontline defense against brood parasitism at their own nests.
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Wang J, Ma L, Chen X, Yang C. Behavioral and Acoustic Responses of the Oriental Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis), at Egg and Nestling Stages, to the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.705748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cuckoo nest parasites lay eggs in host nests and thereby transfer all reproduction costs to the hosts. This greatly reduces host fitness. Parasitism has selected for the evolution of anti-parasitic strategies in hosts, including nest defense. The dynamic risk assessment hypothesis holds that nest parasitism only threatens the nests during the egg stage, so hosts should reduce the level of defense against nest parasites after the egg stage. We studied the behavioral and acoustic responses of oriental reed warblers (Acrocephalus orientalis), during both the egg and nestling stages, toward the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) and oriental turtle doves (Streptopelia orientalis). A. orientalis can visually distinguish cuckoos from sparrowhawks and doves, indicating that hawk mimicry did not work for the cuckoos. The behavioral response of hosts in the nestling stage was stronger than in the egg stage, which supports the offspring value hypothesis and suggests that cuckoos may also act as nest predators. However, there was no difference in the alarm calls A. orientalis produce in response to different invaders, indicating that different types of alarm calls may not contain specific information.
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Tryjanowski P, Golawski A, Janowski M, Sparks TH. Does experimentally simulated presence of a common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) affect egg rejection and breeding success in the red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio)? Acta Ethol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-021-00362-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractProviding artificial eggs is a commonly used technique to understand brood parasitism, mainly by the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). However, the presence of a cuckoo egg in the host nest would also require an earlier physical presence of the common cuckoo within the host territory. During our study of the red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio), we tested two experimental approaches: (1) providing an artificial “cuckoo” egg in shrike nests and (2) additionally placing a stuffed common cuckoo with a male call close to the shrike nest. We expected that the shrikes subject to the additional common cuckoo call stimuli would be more sensitive to brood parasitism and demonstrate a higher egg rejection rate. In the years 2017–2018, in two locations in Poland, a total of 130 red-backed shrike nests were divided into two categories: in 66 we added only an artificial egg, and in the remaining 64 we added not only the egg, but also presented a stuffed, calling common cuckoo. Shrikes reacted more strongly if the stuffed common cuckoo was present. However, only 13 incidences of egg acceptance were noted, with no significant differences between the locations, experimental treatments or their interaction. Analysis of breeding success revealed significant differences between the locations, between experimental treatments and their interaction, which suggests a strong location effect. The red-backed shrike is an efficient rejector of foreign eggs. It would be interesting to see how similar tests affect hosts that have much higher rates of brood parasitism and egg acceptance.
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14
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Marton A, Fülöp A, Bán M, Hauber ME, Moskát C. Female common cuckoo calls dampen the mobbing intensity of great reed warbler hosts. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Attila Marton
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
- Juhász‐Nagy Pál Doctoral School University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
| | - Attila Fülöp
- Juhász‐Nagy Pál Doctoral School University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
| | - Miklós Bán
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
| | - Márk E. Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USA
| | - Csaba Moskát
- MTA‐ELTE‐MTM Ecology Research Group A Joint Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences The Biological Institute of the Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Natural History Museum Budapest Hungary
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15
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Jiang X, Zhang C, Liu J, Liang W. Female cuckoo calls elicit vigilance and escape responses from wild free-range chickens. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2020.1792557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xingyi Jiang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Changjie Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Jianping Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
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16
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Wang J, Yang C. Specific responses of cuckoo hosts to different alarm signals according to breeding stage: a test of the offspring value hypothesis. Curr Zool 2020; 66:649-655. [PMID: 33391364 PMCID: PMC7769587 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The selective pressure exerted by avian brood parasites forces their hosts to evolve specific defense strategies. When subject to brood parasite attack, avian hosts will often emit alarm calls. To date, few studies have examined whether and how host responses to different alarm calls indicative of different enemies vary with the host's breeding stage. We carried out alarm call playback experiments during both the egg and nestling stages of the oriental reed warbler Acrocephalus orientalis, a host of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus. The playback exemplars were selected from recorded alarm calls of the warbler to the presence of common cuckoos, sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus, and oriental turtle doves Streptopelia orientalis, which represented brood parasite, predator, and harmless control, respectively. The results showed that the oriental reed warblers did not discriminate alarm calls issued to different intruder types, but the intensity of the response was significantly higher in the nestling stage than in the egg stage. Attack behavior related to sparrowhawk alarm calls was absent in the egg stage, but aggressive behavior increased dramatically and exceeded the attack frequency in response to the cuckoo alarm call in the nestling stage, implying a shift in the tradeoff between the parents' own survival and the loss of offspring. Alarm calls attracted a larger number of conspecifics than members of other species. In general, the oriental reed warbler had consistently stronger responses to different alarm calls in the nestling stage than in the egg stage, supporting the offspring value hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
| | - Canchao Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
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17
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Salis A, Léna J, Lengagne T. Great tits (
Parus major
) adequately respond to both allopatric combinatorial mobbing calls and their isolated parts. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ambre Salis
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F‐69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Jean‐Paul Léna
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F‐69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Thierry Lengagne
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F‐69622 Villeurbanne France
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18
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Attisano A, Hlebowicz K, Gula R, Theuerkauf J. Threat recognition and response in an avian brood-parasite host from New Caledonia. Curr Zool 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Nest predation and avian brood parasitism are the main sources of nest failure in many passerine birds. Large predators threaten both brood and parents, whereas brood parasites pose only a danger to eggs or nestlings. The fan-tailed gerygone Gerygone flavolateralis from New Caledonia is subjected to high rates of nest predation by the New Caledonian crow Corvus moneduloides (responsible for about 20–40% of predation) and moderate rates of brood parasitism by the shining bronze-cuckoo Chalcites lucidus (parasitizing about 18% of nests), which also depredates nests that are too advanced for parasitism (13% of nests). To test if fan-tailed gerygones are able to discriminate predators from brood parasites, we presented 3 bird models at active gerygone nests: a brood parasite/small nest predator (shining bronze-cuckoo), a large nest predator (crow), and a small non-native bird (common chaffinch Fringilla coelebs), which is unknown to the gerygone, as a control. We assessed the response of adult gerygones to the presentation of each model by measuring the minimum approach distance, number of alarm calls, number of attacks, and time to first nest visit after the presentation (latency). Adult gerygones often attacked the cuckoo, approached but never attacked the chaffinch and always avoided the crow. Latency was shorter after an attack response and during brooding, but similar among models. We did not find any link between the cuckoo model presentation and later ejection of cuckoo nestlings. We conclude that adult fan-tailed gerygones discriminate between different models and respond accordingly to the level of threat, but do not show awareness of parasitism risk and increase of nestling ejection rates following exposure to the cuckoo model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Attisano
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Roman Gula
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jörn Theuerkauf
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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19
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Warblers perform less nest defense behavior and alarm calls to human intruders: A result of habituation. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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20
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Wang JJ, Ma LK, Liang W, Yang CC. Responses of cuckoo hosts to alarm signals of different nest intruders in non-nesting areas. Zool Res 2020; 41:345-350. [PMID: 32212428 PMCID: PMC7231467 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jiao-Jiao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan 571158, China
| | - Lai-Kun Ma
- Department of Biology and Food Science, Hebei Normal University for Nationalities, Chengde, Hebei 067000, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan 571158, China
| | - Can-Chao Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan 571158, China. E-mail:
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21
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Lawson SL, Enos JK, Mendes NC, Gill SA, Hauber ME. Heterospecific eavesdropping on an anti-parasitic referential alarm call. Commun Biol 2020; 3:143. [PMID: 32235851 PMCID: PMC7109080 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0875-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Referential alarm calls occur across taxa to warn of specific predator types. However, referential calls may also denote other types of dangers. Yellow warblers (Setophaga petechia) produce “seet” calls specifically to warn conspecifics of obligate brood parasitic brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), which lay their eggs in the warblers’ and other species’ nests. Sympatric hosts of cowbirds that do not have referential alarm calls may eavesdrop on the yellow warbler’s seet call as a warning system for brood parasites. Using playback presentations, we found that red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) eavesdrop on seet calls of yellow warblers, and respond as much to seet calls as to cowbird chatters and predator calls. Red-winged blackbirds appear to eavesdrop on seets as warning system to boost frontline defenses on their territories, although they do not seem to perceive the warblers’ seets as a cue for parasitism per se, but rather for general danger to the nest. Lawson et al. study the response of the redwinged blackbirds to referential alarm calls in other bird species. They show that the blackbirds eavesdrop on heterospecific warning calls of the yellow warbler related to the nest parasites and respond by boosting their defenses to general danger on their territories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby L Lawson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Janice K Enos
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Niko C Mendes
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Sharon A Gill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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