Brood Parasitism - Tricks and Defenses

There are some birds that skip the work of raising their chicks. They just lay eggs in a different nest and let other birds raise them. Let's learn about brood parasites, one of the most interesting things to learn about birds! A Please subscribe to continue learning what makes life AWESOME: BioBush.tv/sub...
In this video we are learning about the tricks that brood parasites use to get another bird to raise their chicks, and how "host" species and parasite species are locked in a dynamic battle to out-evolve each other.
Once you see how many adaptations and counter-adaptations are involved, you'll see why this is such an interesting field in the study of birds!
If you would like to share this video, the custom link is BioBush.tv/bro...
Copyright
Video "A Cowbird comes to the nest material station" by Ostdrossel ( • A Cowbird comes to the... ). Used under Creative Commons cc-by 3.0.
Photo "Eastern Phoebe-nest-Brown-headed-Cowbird-egg" by Galawebdesign, via Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikime.... Usedunder Creative Commons cc-by 3.0.
Video "Secrets of Nature --The Cuckoo's Secret" by Wu Zetian ( • Secrets of Nature --Th... ). Used under Creative Commons cc-by 3.0.
Photo "An Asian Koel Female taking flight" by Hari K Patibanda, via Flickr (www.flickr.com.... Used under Creative Commons cc-by 2.0.
Video "Oriole Father Struggles to Feed Larger Baby Cowbird" by Ann Del Tredici ( • Oriole Father Struggle... ). Used under Creative Commons cc-by 3.0.
Video "Prothonotary warbler provisioning cowbird" by Nick Antonson ( • Prothonotary warbler p... ). Used under Creative Commons cc-by 3.0.
Video "White crowned sparrow with juvenile cowbird" by youcos ( • White crowned sparrow ... ). Used under Creative Commons cc-by 3.0.
Video "Whose Home is it anyway?" by Peet J van Eeden ( • Whose Home is it anyway? ). Used under Creative Commons cc-by 3.0.
Photo "Common cuckoo parasitic brood" by Anderson MG et al., via Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikime.... Used under Creative Commons cc-by 4.0.
Video "American robin rejecting a 3D model egg" by Peer J ( • American robin rejecti... ). Used under Creative Commons cc-by 3.0.
Video "Intro to the Fairywren Project" by Fairywren Project ( • Intro to the Fairywren... ). Used under Creative Commons cc-by 3.0.
Video "Blue Wren (Superb Fairy-wren) Nest Building" by unyxium ( • Blue Wren (Superb Fair... ). Used under Creative Commons cc-by 3.0.
Photo "Horsfields Bronze-cuckoo (Chrysococcyx basalis)" by patrickkavanagh, via Flickr (www.flickr.com.... Used under Creative Commons cc-by 2.0.
Photo "Village indigobird, Vidua chalybeata, at Mapungubwe National Park, Limpopo, South Africa (male)" by Derek Keats, via Flickr (www.flickr.com.... Used under Creative Commons cc-by 2.0.
Photo "Reed warbler cuckoo" by Per Harald Olsen, via Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikime.... Used under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 3.0.
Bizarre Birds - BioBush.tv/bir...
Every Bird Ranked - BioBush.tv/rank1
//
New animal videos every Friday. Life is AWESOME. Learn why!
I'm tweeting about birds at - / biobush
And now Instagram at - / biobush
Thanks for watching! You're awesome!

[@Ecotasia]

Brood parasites are super interesting and really awesome study species. An interesting thing is brood parasitism may have existed in non-avian dinosaurs, there is an embryonic velociaptor found in an oviraptor nest, could have been prey, but there is a distinct possibility that this could be evidence of a brood parasite.

[@BioBush]

That's a cool fact, JJ! It makes sense for species that guard/incubate their eggs (like oviraptors), so there is a "resource" of parental attention to acquire. There would never* be brood parasites in sea turtles, because the eggs are unattended (*though we are talking about living things, so probably there could be brood parasites for sea turtles). Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@jackkrell4238]

Thank you again for an insightful and educative overview of inter-specific brood parasitism! This behavioral phenomenon is one of the most fascinating cases of evolutionary arms races occurring between two opposing species. The pressures induced on the host species force them to adopt clever foreign egg detection strategies! I marvel at the intriguing adaptations within the avian order.

[@BioBush]

Hi Jack! I'm glad you liked this video. It was a surprisingly deep subject, with lots of interesting surprises. Thanks for taking the time to watch! I also marvel at the avian order. :)

[@geoffreyroulston1401]

It's amazing that weevers are able to make a nest that is secure from predators and parasitism keep up the good work!

[@BioBush]

Hi Geoffrey! I find that impressive as well. I would like to learn how they accomplish such weaving someday. Thank you for watching!

[@andybotros520]

I loved this. Thanks.

[@dolsopolar]

why do host birds recognize egg and mouth patterns but not grown up cuckoo chicks?

[@findzy4419]

their eye sight works differently, for one they can see UV light and these patterns on the gape hold that UV

[@PhilipVeerman]

That is a very good question. We probably don't know an answer. My suggestion is that by the time the parasite chick is so grown up to be so obviously different, the damage has already been done. Maybe it is too complex to obtain any evolutionary benefit by intervention at that late stage.

[@PhilipVeerman]

@@findzy4419 That may well be true but it is hard to make a clear connection between that point and the question being asked. As in "their eye sight works differently" from what? and how does that help?

[@SamSonicVideos]

The ultimate evolution: Host pulls out a glock and tells the cuckoo to build a nest. Ultimate counter evolution: Cuckoo brings an automatic and slays the host and chicks. Ultimate counter counter evolution: An ever increasing fight of retaliation till it breaks out into all-out war with the death toll in the millions. Nature is so amazing! 😍

[@AliciaLopez-nb1ye]

What an interesting video, thanks for sharing!!!!!! On my balcony I found a nest and I think a red-eyed cowbird is using it, the original builders were canyon towhees, so far they have only laid two eggs.

[@BioBush]

That's cool that you get to see this evolutionary arms race on your balcony! I'm curious whether the hosts raised the chicks or whether the hosts used one of their possible defense mechanisms.

[@AliciaLopez-nb1ye]

@@BioBush I think the parents abandoned the eggs (they have 5 in the nest) but I haven't seen anyone incubating the eggs for 4 days now. I only saw the cowbird come and check, but not the canyon towhees 😢

[@BioBush]

@@AliciaLopez-nb1ye Interesting! It's a little sad that they have to start a new nest, but this is actually a case of the hosts winning! Thanks for sharing, Alicia!

[@henryt169]

I would just strap the parasite egg back to the original bird, and let it brood its own chick.

[@smrutiranjannayak1212]

This means cuckoos never make nest for them or never laid the egg on their nest?

[@BioBush]

Hi Smruti! Some cuckoo species are "obligate" brood parasites, meaning they MUST lay their eggs in a different nest and do not build their own nest. Other cuckoo species do build nests and raise their own chicks. I have to look it up every time because there's no obvious difference between the species that employ either strategy. It's all very interesting. Thanks for watching!

[@PhilipVeerman]

@@BioBush It is the coucals and a few other large cuckoo species in Asia, that raise their own chicks.