Host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds on chalk-browed mockingbirds

We investigated the association between brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis), and behaviour and nest-site characteristics of chalk-browed mockingbirds (Mimus saturninus). This host builds nests on trees, it is aggressive against intruders and it is larger than shiny cowbirds. W...

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Autores principales: Fiorini, Vanina Dafne, Tuero, Diego Tomas, Reboreda, Juan Carlos
Publicado: 2009
Materias:
Brood parasitism
Host behaviour
Mimus saturninus
Molothrus bonariensis
Nest-site characteristics
Molothrus
Acceso en línea:https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00057959_v146_n10_p1387_Fiorini
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00057959_v146_n10_p1387_Fiorini
Aporte de:
Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA) de Universidad de Buenos Aires
id paper:paper_00057959_v146_n10_p1387_Fiorini
record_format dspace
spelling paper:paper_00057959_v146_n10_p1387_Fiorini2023-06-08T14:29:58Z Host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds on chalk-browed mockingbirds Fiorini, Vanina Dafne Tuero, Diego Tomas Reboreda, Juan Carlos Brood parasitism Host behaviour Mimus saturninus Molothrus bonariensis Nest-site characteristics Mimus saturninus Molothrus Molothrus bonariensis We investigated the association between brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis), and behaviour and nest-site characteristics of chalk-browed mockingbirds (Mimus saturninus). This host builds nests on trees, it is aggressive against intruders and it is larger than shiny cowbirds. We conducted focal observations of mockingbird nests, and registered mockingbird activity and attentiveness around the nest. To characterize nest sites, we measured nest cover, nest height, and distance from the nest to the closest perch, and included host laying date and year as additional predictor variables. We also evaluated experimentally host agonistic behaviours directed towards a female cowbird and a control model, and the association between aggressive behaviour and parasitism. Nest attentiveness, nest cover and laying date were associated with parasitism. These results contradict the host-activity hypothesis, because more attentive pairs were less parasitized, and the nest-exposure hypothesis, because more concealed nests were more parasitized. Experiments showed that unparasitized pairs were more aggressive against cowbird models than were parasitized ones. Our findings indicate that shiny cowbirds prefer to parasitize more concealed nests, where they could lay undetected by the host, and that mockingbird nest attentiveness and aggression towards cowbirds are effective first lines of defence against brood parasitism. © Koninklijke Brill NV, 2009. Fil:Fiorini, V.D. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Tuero, D.T. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Reboreda, J.C. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. 2009 https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00057959_v146_n10_p1387_Fiorini http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00057959_v146_n10_p1387_Fiorini
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic Brood parasitism
Host behaviour
Mimus saturninus
Molothrus bonariensis
Nest-site characteristics
Mimus saturninus
Molothrus
Molothrus bonariensis
spellingShingle Brood parasitism
Host behaviour
Mimus saturninus
Molothrus bonariensis
Nest-site characteristics
Mimus saturninus
Molothrus
Molothrus bonariensis
Fiorini, Vanina Dafne
Tuero, Diego Tomas
Reboreda, Juan Carlos
Host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds on chalk-browed mockingbirds
topic_facet Brood parasitism
Host behaviour
Mimus saturninus
Molothrus bonariensis
Nest-site characteristics
Mimus saturninus
Molothrus
Molothrus bonariensis
description We investigated the association between brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis), and behaviour and nest-site characteristics of chalk-browed mockingbirds (Mimus saturninus). This host builds nests on trees, it is aggressive against intruders and it is larger than shiny cowbirds. We conducted focal observations of mockingbird nests, and registered mockingbird activity and attentiveness around the nest. To characterize nest sites, we measured nest cover, nest height, and distance from the nest to the closest perch, and included host laying date and year as additional predictor variables. We also evaluated experimentally host agonistic behaviours directed towards a female cowbird and a control model, and the association between aggressive behaviour and parasitism. Nest attentiveness, nest cover and laying date were associated with parasitism. These results contradict the host-activity hypothesis, because more attentive pairs were less parasitized, and the nest-exposure hypothesis, because more concealed nests were more parasitized. Experiments showed that unparasitized pairs were more aggressive against cowbird models than were parasitized ones. Our findings indicate that shiny cowbirds prefer to parasitize more concealed nests, where they could lay undetected by the host, and that mockingbird nest attentiveness and aggression towards cowbirds are effective first lines of defence against brood parasitism. © Koninklijke Brill NV, 2009.
author Fiorini, Vanina Dafne
Tuero, Diego Tomas
Reboreda, Juan Carlos
author_facet Fiorini, Vanina Dafne
Tuero, Diego Tomas
Reboreda, Juan Carlos
author_sort Fiorini, Vanina Dafne
title Host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds on chalk-browed mockingbirds
title_short Host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds on chalk-browed mockingbirds
title_full Host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds on chalk-browed mockingbirds
title_fullStr Host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds on chalk-browed mockingbirds
title_full_unstemmed Host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds on chalk-browed mockingbirds
title_sort host behaviour and nest-site characteristics affect the likelihood of brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds on chalk-browed mockingbirds
publishDate 2009
url https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00057959_v146_n10_p1387_Fiorini
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00057959_v146_n10_p1387_Fiorini
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