Paul A. Johnsgard - The Avian Brood Parasites: Deception at the Nest
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA | 1997-11-06 | ISBN: 0195110420 | PDF | 424 pages | 52.59 MB
This book discusses all of the world's nearly 100 species of obligatory brood parasites--those birds that reproduce only by laying their eggs in the nests of other species--and the ecological and evolutionary aspects of this remarkable behavioral adaptation.
The evolutionary, ecologicaland behavioral questions posed by obligate brood parasites are among the mostintriguing of all contemporary ornithological topics. Avian brood parasites laytheir eggs in the nests of other birds and may be a major contributing factordriving several species of songbirds to near extinction. As one of the firstbooks to present a comprehensive overview of this fascinating phenomenon, thiswork discusses the comparative biology and coevolutionary adaptations exhibitedby the five families of birds that engage in such behavior. Several chaptersdealing with the comparative biology of both intraspecific and interspecificbrood parasites, are followed by individual accounts of all known species --nearly 100 altogether, primarily cowbirds and cuckoos. Some of the moreremarkable behavioral and structural adaptations of these birds include eggmimicry, juvenile mimicry, elimination by starvation or actual attack of othernestlings or host eggs, and even the learning and partial mimicry of host songtraits. An extended glossary, a list of Latin names, 400 literature citationsand range maps of all parasitic species discussed are also included. Detailedline drawings by the author enhance this synthesis of biological and ecologicalinformation.
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