BookPDF Available

The Cuckoo: The Uninvited Guest

Authors:
Oldřich Mikulica
Oldřich Mikulica
Oldřich Mikulica
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Tomas Grim at University of Ostrava
Tomas Grim
Karl Schulze-Hagen at Praxis Dres Schulze-Hagen
Karl Schulze-Hagen
  • Praxis Dres Schulze-Hagen
Bård G Stokke at Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
Bård G Stokke
Download full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation

Abstract

We all know Cuckoos as the harbingers of spring – whose haunting calls proclaim the birds own name across fields and reedbeds. A bird much more often heard than actually seen, and often mistaken for a hawk or falcon when briefly glimpsed in flight. Cuckoos are also well known, perhaps even infamous, for their habit of laying their own eggs into the nests of much smaller species, such as reed warblers, who are then doomed to raise the enormous cuckoo chick rather than their own young, and whose eggs are ruthlessly thrown from the nest by the cuckoo hatchling. But how does this complex behaviour act out in nature, and how did it evolve? What are the cuckoo’s special tricks and what counter-measures have the host birds developed to resist the depredations of cuckoos? In this book the authors delve into the stories behind what we see, and into the complex and ever evolving evolutionary arms race by which the nest parasite and its hosts constantly try to leapfrog each other into prime position. The natural history of the cuckoo-host struggle is illuminated with detailed explanations of the results of behavioural and ecological research to provide a comprehensive, but highly readable, account in which an insight into one puzzle constantly reveals a new question begging an answer. The whole story is brought vividly to life through the astonishing photographs of Oldo Mikulica, who has watched cuckoos and their various hosts from hides for almost four decades. The result is a unique and beautiful book which both informs and delights.
Content uploaded by Tomas Grim
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Tomas Grim on Nov 28, 2016
Content may be subject to copyright.
Cuckoo
the cuckoo   
The
oldřich mikulica | tomáš grim | karl schulze-hagen | bård g. stokke



9780995 567306
ISBN 978-0-9955673-0-6
wild nature press
www.wildnaturepress.com
We all know Cuckoos as the harbingers of spring – whose haunting
calls proclaim the birds own name across fields and reedbeds. A bird
more often heard than seen, and often mistaken for a raptor when
glimpsed in flight. Cuckoos are also well known, even infamous,
for their habit of laying their eggs into the nests of much smaller
species, such as reed warblers, who are then doomed to raise the
enormous cuckoo chick rather than their young, and whose eggs
are ruthlessly thrown from the nest by the cuckoo hatchling.
How does this complex behaviour act out in nature? How did it evolve?
What are the cuckoo’s special tricks and what counter-measures
have the hosts evolved to resist the attacks of cuckoos? In this book
the authors delve into the stories behind what we see, and into the
complex and ever evolving evolutionary arms race by which the brood
parasite and its hosts constantly leapfrog each other into prime
position. The natural history of the cuckoo-host struggle is illuminated
with the results of behavioural and ecological research to provide a
comprehensive, but highly readable, account in which an insight into
one puzzle constantly reveals a new question begging an answer.
The whole story is brought vividly to life through the astonishing
photographs of Oldřich Mikulica, who has watched cuckoos and
their various hosts from hides for almost four decades. The result
is a unique and beautiful book which both informs and delights.
The Cuckoo - the uninvited guest
‘A wonderful book! Never before have the lives of cuckoos been
revealed in such extraordinary, aesthetic, intimate detail.’
Tim Birkhead, scientist and author of ‘The Most Perfect Thing:
the Inside (and Outside) of a Bird’s egg’.
‘The most fascinating illustration of cuckoo behaviour and
ecology I have ever had the pleasure to experience.’
Franz Bairlein, Director, Institute of Avian Research, Germany.
President, International Ornithologists’ Union.
Cuckoo Cover.indd 2 21-10-16 13:15
Please,buythebookhere:
http://www.wildnaturepress.com/our‐titles/cuckoo‐uninvited‐guest/
... For example, some authors suggested that male cuckoos might play a role in nest searching similarly to other brood parasitic species (e.g. greater spotted cuckoos Clamator glandarius and Asian koels Eudynamys scolopaceus), where males may provoke hosts, distracting them from the nest while the female lays her egg(s) 41 . ...
... This interest from the cuckoos was similar also during the playback trials when there was no great reed warbler in sight (Experiment 2), underlining the importance of audio signals compared to visual stimuli of the host. The hosts' nest defense behavior may also be triggered by male brood parasites, which pose no direct risk for the host, but can provide valuable information for female cuckoos lurking nearby 41,44 . ...
... Even more importantly, 65% of the cuckoo males and 50% of the females were not assigned as parents to any of the 136 nestlings sampled. This suggests that some kind of cooperation during the nest searching process between the top female and male cuckoos would result in direct fitness advantages for the individuals with high mating success, as it is in the case other cooperatively breeding brood parasites 3,41 . ...
Host alarm calls attract the unwanted attention of the brood parasitic common cuckoo
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2019
It is well known that avian brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species, called hosts. It remains less clear, however, just how parasites are able to recognize their hosts and identify the exact location of the appropriate nests to lay their eggs in. While previous studies attributed high importance to visual signals in finding the hosts’ nests (e.g. nest building activity or the distance and direct sight of the nest from vantage points used by the brood parasites), the role of host acoustic signals during the nest searching stage has been largely neglected. We present experimental evidence that both female and male common cuckoos Cuculus canorus pay attention to their host’s, the great reed warbler’s Acrocephalus arundinaceus alarm calls, relative to the calls of an unparasitized species used as controls. Parallel to this, we found no difference between the visibility of parasitized and unparasitized nests during drone flights, but great reed warblers that alarmed more frequently experienced higher rates of parasitism. We conclude that alarm calls might be advantageous for the hosts when used against enemies or for alerting conspecifics, but can act in a detrimental manner by providing important nest location cues for eavesdropping brood parasites. Our results suggest that host alarm calls may constitute a suitable trait on which cuckoo nestlings can imprint on to recognize their primary host species later in life. Our study contributes to the growing body of knowledge regarding the context-dependency of animal signals, by providing a novel example of a beneficial acoustic trait intercepted by a heterospecific and used against the emitter.
View
... Host densities, synchrony between host and parasite in egg laying, breeding success in host and cuckoo and decrease in abundance of food (i.e. insects, and butterflies in particular), to mention some, may also be of importance (Mikulica et al. 2017). To disclose changes in population sizes and pinpoint the potential reasons for these changes, it is important to monitor the breeding biology of the cuckoo through long-term studies. ...
... In addition, currently, high altitude areas may also prove to be suboptimal to adult cuckoos since they may contain few adequate feeding sites for cuckoos. Adult cuckoos mainly feed on caterpillars (Mikulica et al. 2017), which may be difficult to find in such areas. ...
Brood parasitism on Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis by Common Cuckoos Cuculus canorus in two mountain areas in Norway
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2019
In the period 2001–2014 we studied Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus brood parasitism on Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis in two mountain areas; one located in the eastern and one in the western part of southern Norway. In the total material of 211 Meadow Pipit nests, 14 (6.6%) were parasitized by the cuckoo. The parasitism rate showed considerable variation both in time and space, with highest rate in one of the areas in 2005 (35.3%). Cuckoo eggs were quite similar in appearance to host eggs. In spite of this, 30% of the cuckoo eggs were rejected by desertion. No host ejection of parasite eggs was observed. Nest predation rates were rather low. Due to climate change, it has been hypothesized that the cuckoo, a long-distance migrant, may arrive too late to successfully utilize the Meadow Pipit because the latter is better able to advance the breeding season due to a shorter migration distance. Our data lend support to the mismatch hypothesis, but the low sample size regarding cases of parasitism does not allow us to make any firm conclusions. Long-term monitoring of host-parasite interactions in specific populations is important to further disclose the mechanisms responsible for the decline in the Norwegian cuckoo population.
View
... It is somewhat similar to the lesser woodpeckers' (Dryobates minor) "pee-pee-pee…," or certain strophes of many birds' songs (e.g., nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos). Chance (1940) thought it is similar to the call of the green woodpecker (Picus viridis), Mikulica et al. (2017) mentioned similarity with little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), and it seems also be acoustically similar to goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) or sparrowhawk (A. nisus) calls (York and Davies 2017). ...
... Our results are in accordance with Chance (1940), who thought that bubbling call is emitted when a female cuckoo seeks to call in the male. We observed female cuckoos giving their bubbling calls when they flew together with a male (called "tandem flight" by Mikulica et al. 2017) with, the male producing "gowk" calls. Our work on radio tracking cuckoos (Moskát et al. 2017a(Moskát et al. , 2019 was suggestive that females are spaced more evenly than males and show less mobility toward neighboring territories, but quantitative analyses of these patterns across the sexes are still lacking. ...
Sex-specific responses to simulated territorial intrusions in the common cuckoo: a dual function of female acoustic signaling
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2019
  • BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL
The two-note call of the male common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), the so-called “cu-coo”, is well known to people as a natural and cultural signal. However, the so-called “bubbling” call of the female cuckoo is almost unknown to most, and its function in the social organization of cuckoos remains understudied. We carried out a study of a possible intraspecific communication function of female bubbling calls, using playbacks to female cuckoos in their natural environment. Regarding vocal responses, both female and male cuckoos paid attention to the bubbling calls as they consistently responded acoustically by calling but did not so during control playbacks of collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) calls. Accordingly, in about 63% of trials, females approached the loudspeaker closely and 81% uttered bubbling calls themselves during the experiment. These results are consistent with a function that the bubbling call plays a role in territorial signaling and defense among females. Male cuckoos also showed strong responses to playbacks of bubbling calls, as they approached the speaker and themselves called in 94% of playbacks; this is consistent with a scenario that they are interested in unfamiliar, new females in the area. Specifically, males approached the speaker repeatedly by flight, often flew around it and then perched on a tree, and uttered different call types beside the general “cu-coo” (e.g., quick “cu-cu-coo”, “gowk” call, and “guo” call). Our results represent an illustrative example that a simple female call may have multiple functions, as the cuckoo bubbling call advertises territory need for female cuckoos and attracts males. Significance statement Avian brood parasites lay their eggs in nests of other bird species, causing hosts to incubate, feed, and rear the parasitic offspring. Parasitic adult common cuckoos maintain a complex acoustic communication system, but female cuckoo calls are only beginning to be studied. The basic intraspecific functions of females’ sparrowhawk-like “bubbling calls” have not yet been characterized, whereas interspecifically, they use it for reducing antiparasitic attacks by their hosts. Our playback experiments with bubbling calls revealed that both female and male cuckoos responded acoustically to unfamiliar bubbling calls and more males than females approached the speaker, relative to control playbacks. We conclude that bubbling call has dual basic intraspecific functions: mate attraction, and territorial spacing.
View
... In avian brood parasites, fitness is strongly connected to their ability to deceive other species in raising their offspring, a process that starts with finding a large number of suitable nests, a task often attributed to females only (Feeney & Riehl, 2019;Honza et al., 2002;Krüger & Pauli, 2017). However, playback experiments showed that both male and female cuckoos pay attention to host alarm calls (Marton et al., 2019), supporting hypotheses on maleefemale cooperation in nest searching (Feeney & Riehl, 2019;Mikulica et al., 2017). Furthermore, anecdotal observations state that male cuckoos can distract host species, allowing females to lay their eggs, although video-recording studies failed to find evidence supporting this hypothesis in related parasitic species (Feeney & Riehl, 2019). ...
View
... However, for our study, it was not difficult to detect duetting because we recorded almost all bubbling calls from focal females, together with the focal males' 3-note calls (see more details in Results). Typically, a female and male cuckoo were observed within a close distance (a few meters apart) from each other when these calls were uttered, as the subjects were sitting on a tree or flying together ("tandem flight", c.f. Mikulica et al., 2017). We used bubbling calls and the corresponding 3-note cuckoo calls from n = 13 duetting bouts (Fig. 1). ...
Male common cuckoos use a three-note variant of their “cu-coo” call for duetting with conspecific females
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2021
  • BEHAV PROCESS
Duetting is a coordinated form of acoustic communication with participants uttering calls or songs simultaneously and/or sequentially. Duetting is often observed in pair-bonded species, with mated females and males both contributing to the communal vocal output. We observed duetting between the sexes in the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), an obligate brood parasitic species without known pair formation. Specifically, female cuckoos use their sex-specific bubbling calls for duetting, while male cuckoos use a 3-note variant (“cu-cu-coo”) of their typical and well-known 2-note (“cu-coo”) territorial advertisement calls. The maximum frequency of the elements in the male’s 3-note variants was higher relative to the 2-note calls, but durations of both the elements and the inter-element intervals were shorter. The vast majority (95%) of the 3-note calling was detected together with the bubbling call, implying an intersexual duetting function, with the female calls preceding these male calls in 67% of cases. The two call types in duetting followed each other rapidly (mean response time of females was 1.30 ± 0.71 SD s, and 0.76 ± 0.53 SD s in males), and typically overlapped with each other (95%). Frequently (90%), the male call was repeated 2-3 times, whereas the female call was repeated less frequently (9%). Our results are consistent with a main function of duetting in intersexual communication and coordination between female and male cuckoos.
View
Machine learning outcompetes human assessment in identifying eggs of a conspecific brood parasite
Preprint
Full-text available
  • Nov 2024
Avian brood parasitism provides an exceptional system for studying coevolution. While conspecific brood parasitism (CBP) is more common than interspecific parasitism, it is less studied due to the challenge of detecting parasitic eggs, which closely resemble those of the host. Although molecular genotyping can accurately detect CBP, its high cost has led researchers to explore egg appearance as a more accessible alternative. Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are considered conspecific brood parasites, but identifying parasitic eggs has traditionally relied on human visual assessment. Here, we used UV-visible photographs of non-parasitized barn swallow clutches and simulated parasitism to compare the accuracy of human assessment with automated methods. In two games, participants and models identified parasitic eggs from six or two options. While humans performed better than chance (72% and 87% accuracy), they still made significant errors. In contrast, the automated supervised model was far more reliable, achieving 95% and 97% accuracy. We think that the model outperformed humans due to its ability to analyse a broader range of visual information, including UV reflectance, which humans cannot perceive. We recommend using supervised models over human assessment for identifying conspecific parasitic eggs and highlight their potential to advance research on evolution of egg colouration.
View
Computational Intelligence-based Optimization Algorithms: From Theory to Practice
Book
Full-text available
  • Jul 2023
Computational intelligence-based optimization methods, also known as metaheuristic optimization algorithms, are a popular topic in mathematical programming. These methods have bridged the gap between various approaches and created a new school of thought to solve real-world optimization problems. In this book, we have selected some of the most effective and renowned algorithms in the literature. These algorithms are not only practical but also provide thought-provoking theoretical ideas to help readers understand how they solve optimization problems. Each chapter includes a brief review of the algorithm’s background and the fields it has been used in. Additionally, Python code is provided for all algorithms at the end of each chapter, making this book a valuable resource for beginner and intermediate programmers looking to understand these algorithms.
View
How does human disturbance affect brood parasitism and nest predation in hosts inhabiting a highly fragmented landscape?
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2020
Human disturbance represents a considerable challenge for the conservation of living organisms and has profound negative impacts globally. There is substantial variation in how species respond to human disturbance. The main aim of the present study is to examine how human activities influence the risk of brood parasitism and nest predation for three passerine species living in a highly fragmented landscape in Central Bangladesh. We use data collected from 518 nests over nine breeding seasons for three host species of the Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus), a non-evicting brood parasite: i) long-tailed shrike (Lanius schach), ii) common myna (Acridotheres tristis) and iii) house crow (Corvus splendens). Two sources of disturbance were considered: i) houses and buildings inside the study area, the Jahangirnagar University campus and ii) the highly urbanized area outside the campus boundary. Additionally, we regarded iii) nest height, iv) number of days after egg laying until discovery (time unmonitored), v) distance to nearest fruit tree and vi) distance to nearest conspecific neighbor, as important habitat and nest characteristics. We found significantly lower predation risk with increasing time unmonitored in all three host species, thus more regular nest checks by fieldworkers lead to more predation. Moreover, we found that the distance to nearest fruit tree was the most important factor for the risk of parasitism. Although we could not find any significant impacts of distance to boundary or buildings on either predation or parasitism risk, we found a trend both in common myna and house crow that nesting success was higher closer to the boundary. Ultimately, increased monitoring time had the most consistent negative impact on nesting success among the host species. This study highlights the effect of disturbance caused by nest monitoring, exceeding the impact of permanent structures in an around the university campus i.e. boundary and buildings.
View
Female-female aggression and male responses to the two colour morphs of female common cuckoos
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2020
  • NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN
Female-only colour polymorphism is rare in birds, but occurs in brood parasitic cuckoos (Cuculidae). Obligate brood parasites leave incubation and parental care to other species (hosts), so female-female interactions can play a role in how parasites guard critical resources (host nests) within their laying areas. The plumage of adult female common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) is either rufous (typically rare) or grey (common), whereas adult male conspecifics are monochromatic (grey). In previous studies, hosts and conspecific males responded with less intensity toward the rare female morph in support of a negative frequency-dependent benefit of female plumage polychromatism. Here, we assessed responses of both conspecific females and males to vocal playbacks of female calls, coupled with one of two 3D models of the different morphs of female cuckoos. At our study population, the rufous female morph was as common as the grey morph; therefore, we predicted similarly high rates of conspecific responses in both treatments. Both female and male cuckoos responded to playbacks acoustically, which demonstrated the primary role of acoustic communication in social interactions amongst cuckoos. Following this, some cuckoos flew closer to the models to inspect them visually. As predicted, no significant differences were detected between the live cuckoos’ responses toward the two colour morphs in this population. We conclude that dichromatism in female cuckoos evolved to serve one or more functions other than conspecific signalling.
View
Unusual Nests in the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus: Reuse of Nests in the Same Season and Unusual Forms of Nest Construction
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2019
Although previous studies have reported on rare nesting behaviour such as nest reuse and/or unusual nest construction in open nesting passerines, very little is known about these rare phenomena. We found and monitored 1224 Great Reed Warbler nests between 2008 and 2017. In three nests, we found reuse of nests in the same season; two nests were reused after a Cuckoo chick had disappeared and one nest was reused after a damaged egg had been ejected. In two other nests, we observed that replacement nests were built directly under the original nest, using the same reed stems. These observations suggest that there may be cases when breeding Great Reed Warblers benefit from performing unusual yet adaptive behaviour, such as conserving energy and time when nests are reused, or recognizing the advantages of original nests, e.g. they may serve as cover and/or concealment.
View
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.