Brown-and-yellow marshbirds reduce their acceptance threshold of mimetic brood parasite eggs in the presence of non-mimetic eggs

The recognition and subsequent rejection of brood parasite eggs is one of the most commonly observed defensive behaviors of the host. The brown-and-yellow marshbird (Pseudoleistes virescens) is a common host of the shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis). This host recognizes and rejects immaculate wh...

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Autores principales: Mermoz, M.E., Haupt, C., Fernández, G.J.
Formato: JOUR
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Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_02890771_v34_n1_p65_Mermoz
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spelling todo:paper_02890771_v34_n1_p65_Mermoz2023-10-03T15:17:18Z Brown-and-yellow marshbirds reduce their acceptance threshold of mimetic brood parasite eggs in the presence of non-mimetic eggs Mermoz, M.E. Haupt, C. Fernández, G.J. Acceptance threshold hypothesis Antiparasite defences Cowbird parasitism Egg colour Rejection behaviour The recognition and subsequent rejection of brood parasite eggs is one of the most commonly observed defensive behaviors of the host. The brown-and-yellow marshbird (Pseudoleistes virescens) is a common host of the shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis). This host recognizes and rejects immaculate white eggs of the cowbird, but accepts this bird’s spotted eggs. We assessed the acceptance threshold hypothesis which proposes that parasite egg recognition is context-dependent. We experimentally parasitized host nests with a spotted cowbird egg and simultaneously added: (1) one novel egg with spots similar to those of a cowbird egg but on a blue background or (2) one immaculate white cowbird egg. In this setting, 78 % of the novel blue egg with spots and 77 % of the cowbird’s immaculate white eggs were quickly recognized and rejected. The rejection frequency of spotted cowbird eggs was also high (60 %) and was not related to the type of egg which had been added to the host nest together with the spotted cowbird egg. This rejection frequency of spotted cowbird eggs is higher than the 21 % that we previously found in a similar experimental setting but in which the spotted cowbird egg was added singly to the host nest. These results support the acceptance threshold hypothesis that predicts an adaptive modulation of the antiparasite defence when the perceived risk of parasitism is high. © 2015, Japan Ethological Society and Springer Japan. JOUR info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_02890771_v34_n1_p65_Mermoz
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic Acceptance threshold hypothesis
Antiparasite defences
Cowbird parasitism
Egg colour
Rejection behaviour
spellingShingle Acceptance threshold hypothesis
Antiparasite defences
Cowbird parasitism
Egg colour
Rejection behaviour
Mermoz, M.E.
Haupt, C.
Fernández, G.J.
Brown-and-yellow marshbirds reduce their acceptance threshold of mimetic brood parasite eggs in the presence of non-mimetic eggs
topic_facet Acceptance threshold hypothesis
Antiparasite defences
Cowbird parasitism
Egg colour
Rejection behaviour
description The recognition and subsequent rejection of brood parasite eggs is one of the most commonly observed defensive behaviors of the host. The brown-and-yellow marshbird (Pseudoleistes virescens) is a common host of the shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis). This host recognizes and rejects immaculate white eggs of the cowbird, but accepts this bird’s spotted eggs. We assessed the acceptance threshold hypothesis which proposes that parasite egg recognition is context-dependent. We experimentally parasitized host nests with a spotted cowbird egg and simultaneously added: (1) one novel egg with spots similar to those of a cowbird egg but on a blue background or (2) one immaculate white cowbird egg. In this setting, 78 % of the novel blue egg with spots and 77 % of the cowbird’s immaculate white eggs were quickly recognized and rejected. The rejection frequency of spotted cowbird eggs was also high (60 %) and was not related to the type of egg which had been added to the host nest together with the spotted cowbird egg. This rejection frequency of spotted cowbird eggs is higher than the 21 % that we previously found in a similar experimental setting but in which the spotted cowbird egg was added singly to the host nest. These results support the acceptance threshold hypothesis that predicts an adaptive modulation of the antiparasite defence when the perceived risk of parasitism is high. © 2015, Japan Ethological Society and Springer Japan.
format JOUR
author Mermoz, M.E.
Haupt, C.
Fernández, G.J.
author_facet Mermoz, M.E.
Haupt, C.
Fernández, G.J.
author_sort Mermoz, M.E.
title Brown-and-yellow marshbirds reduce their acceptance threshold of mimetic brood parasite eggs in the presence of non-mimetic eggs
title_short Brown-and-yellow marshbirds reduce their acceptance threshold of mimetic brood parasite eggs in the presence of non-mimetic eggs
title_full Brown-and-yellow marshbirds reduce their acceptance threshold of mimetic brood parasite eggs in the presence of non-mimetic eggs
title_fullStr Brown-and-yellow marshbirds reduce their acceptance threshold of mimetic brood parasite eggs in the presence of non-mimetic eggs
title_full_unstemmed Brown-and-yellow marshbirds reduce their acceptance threshold of mimetic brood parasite eggs in the presence of non-mimetic eggs
title_sort brown-and-yellow marshbirds reduce their acceptance threshold of mimetic brood parasite eggs in the presence of non-mimetic eggs
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_02890771_v34_n1_p65_Mermoz
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AT hauptc brownandyellowmarshbirdsreducetheiracceptancethresholdofmimeticbroodparasiteeggsinthepresenceofnonmimeticeggs
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