This Egg is Nature's Greatest Scam

Go to squarespace.com/oddanimalspec... to get a free trial and 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
Here's everything you never knew about Cuckoos and Brood Parasites.
This video answers all of the following questions:
- What birds lay their eggs in other nests?
- What are Cuckoos?
- Do cuckoo chicks push other chicks out of the nest?
- What are brood parasites?
- Do cuckoos lay their eggs in wren nests?
These questions are answered by examining footage of a cuckoo egg in a wren nest, seeing the cuckoo hatchling push its siblings out of the nest, and then observing how the cuckoo chick vastly outgrows it's adoptive bird mother / host.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @oddanimalspecimens

[@nathancomixproductions466]

"But the one you have to watch out for is the cuckoo bird. Do you know how a cuckoo bird survives? By preying on a mother's weakness. The cuckoo bird is too clever to raise its young. Instead, it sneaks its eggs into the nests of simpler birds. So when they hatch, the mother bird is fooled. She feeds them, nurtures them. And do you know what happens to her own chicks? They starve and die from neglect. All because a mother loved a chick...that wasn't her own." - Shere Khan, _The Jungle Book_ (2016)

[@raiinstraw9323]

too clever to raise its young? i need some more context on this cuckoo bird!

[@theflippantfox]

​@@raiinstraw9323 the cuckoo bird doesn't build a nest as it is too much work.. she likes to be free and fly around without any particular place to call home

[@captainryan77]

Parasite birds

[@LionLucky435]

:0

[@freedomdude5420]

This is going to create a arms race for big brain birds.

[@brookepearson]

It's interesting that the baby bird knew from birth to push out the other birds to get more food

[@gravel9270]

It is purely from instinct that they will push anything with their back that evolved to be wider and flatter to better aid their action.

[@Raylen_Fa-ield]

Some parasitic birds are even born with hooks on their beaks to break open the other eggs before they hatch, or to kill the new born once hatches

[@quetzacoatlx]

Those who don't push out other birds didn't survive the evolution.

[@kingcosworth2643]

Wired from birth

[@xKandyKatttttttttttttttttttttt]

*F O O D*

[@DebTheDevastator]

There is actually some research that shows that the birds who are parsitized know the baby isn't theirs. The reason they choose to take care of the egg is because the cuckoo in this case will destroy the nest anyways so better to take care of it and hope the cuckoo doesn't choose your nest again. They have also shown that the warbler will abandoned their nests, too if a cuckoo is in the area

[@alfacinha9609]

Stockholm syndrome

[@JamieElli]

It depends though. Cuckoos have adapted to lay eggs that blend in with the birds they're parasitizing.

[@kingcosworth2643]

That doesn't make any sense, why would the cuckoo not choose the nest again, because the scam went off without a hitch? Birds don't have Judeo/Christian morality teachings regarding kindness and fairness to others. Doesn't make sense in the least. That mother bird, especially if this is it's first nest would have no idea what it's chick is supposed to look like, instinct is very basic and easy to fool, even in humans. That's why babies suck their thumbs.

[@jayarajs3696]

That's a shitty discovery btw,,by some stupid morons!!

[@and9091]

With respect to those birds, I don't think the birds would think "better take care of it so some other bird doesn't destroy my nest", that doesn't make sense, I think the birds know that the bird in the nest is somewhere different from themselves, but out of nurturing instinct or something like that their will continue to take care of that bird, but they also will choose to nest in a area where that bird isn't exist to increase the survival rate of their eggs.

[@xrlee5394]

Wow, this videos atmosphere and feel is insane, nicely edited.

[@carpmerchant1318]

It's giving Hannibal 2013, but in the best way possible😂

[@klok3niklok]

💯

[@pico7516]

But he let the bird get thrown out of the nest

[@javk8673]

@@pico7516 ... sometimes nature is metal my guy

[@dominictepsoto3281]

5:02

[@fyuud7271]

I hate how your videos abruptly ended with ads, it's like watching something incomplete and it keeps scratching my heart

[@JojobaNutOil]

i already knew it was a brood parasite but ahhh your content is so relaxing to watch i love itttt! good job!

[@DerRevoIuzzer]

In Germany we have a saying about the Cukoo in german he is calles Kuckuck and some children are called "Kuckuckskind" which means cukoo child. So a child snuck into a realtionship from the mother which made the child with someone else and the husband/boyfriend doesn´t know it.

[@reallyman6502]

oh so that's why the word "cuck" is a thing

[@runnethdown]

​@@reallyman6502 Well, in English "cuck" is short for "cuckold", but "cuckold" was derived from "cuckoo" anyway

[@freedomdude5420]

😂🤣😂🤣, Honey is that my kid.

[@anjachan]

korrekt!

[@justsomeguywithawhitebeard5639]

​@@runnethdown Makes no sense though to call the "victim" the cuck when the cuckoo should be the instigator.

[@Asama-]

The chick gets pushed to it death The cameraman: 👁👄👁

[@vilexross]

So what? Nature is running it's course.

[@dendyt597]

Life cycle kid ..

[@JordanBeagle]

You want him to interfere?

[@uberrave3]

This video reminds me of educational programs i watched as a kid. It's very nostalgic, but as an adult, i can tell it's more than that. From my observation, not a single sencond wasn't considered in the making of this video. I wish there were more content creaters that strive to put this level of care in their videos.

[@user-gt5nf1zm6b]

Oh no this is so sad i feel bad for the other babys 😢 but this is nature

[@crawhey]

So are murder hornets. We are too, but I feel the invasive threat of giant foreign insects spreading over a new region in modern times is a better example to illustrate the relevant point of save a baby’s life to save a baby from death.

[@Donirexian]

The music in the background is amazing! It's so subtle but perfect captures each little reveal/moment/mood in the video. I really like mystery games and this video gave me those kind of vibes, it was very intriguing to watch. I would enjoy watching more videos with this format

[@ahmadhuzzahcole]

I like how the bird is like 3x the size of the mother even tho the egg was barely larger

[@Emuneneisyummy]

The saddest part is when the baby bird pushed their sibling..

[@sirvilhelm3569]

You’d think the mom would question why her son is bigger than her instead of continuously feeding em

[@yeaphongshengmoe8272]

:(😢😭😟😔🙁😥😞😿😓😦

[@humanaku9135]

this is a great format for a younger audience that doesn't know about Cuckoos and other brood parasites but I like your videos without a "narrative" so to speak.

[@Manisphesto]

1:04 is nobody going to talk about how the piano fits with this part.

[@AC3ND3D]

"this video is brought to you by square space, and this is a disaster" I about dide💀💀💀

[@Your.local.goofyahh.channel]

"why did it do that?" THE HUNGER GAMES

[@user-fb3yy4gy5l]

Love these vids, they’re fascinating! Would it be possible for you to go over some cool facts or even just the anatomy of an Irwin turtle?

[@GIGACAT573]

Imposter among us ?

[@pumpkxnz_11]

This is when your channel learned me more stuff about animals, insects, and pest while the school i only learned few stuff about them😕

[@-C.I.A]

Hey! Can you guess what species this is?: The specimen is almost entirely known by its vertebral column (axial skeleton): five cervical vertebrae (including the axis), ten articulated mid-to-posterior dorsal vertebrae, two sacral vertebrae, and six caudal vertebrae (five of which are complete). The only other bones found with the specimen are a complete ilium and two unidentifiable bone fragments. The specimen is preserved partially articulated. However, the overall preservation is poor, with a dark reddish-brown to grey colouration indicative of a haematite coating and permineralization. Additionally, the deformation has distorted the shape of the vertebrae and parts of them have been cracked and weathered away.

[@-C.I.A]

It's a reptillan, part of Synapsid, and belongs to Varanopidae

[@demo8175]

No I'm pretty sure it's a worm.

[@DigiDragon001]

Hey, asker, what is the answer?

[@adamiskandar9443]

Great vibes in this video. Oh and the info is nice too!

[@bevgordon7619]

Dear Mr Odd A.S., I realllly like your varied examples of wonderfull Nature: allways interesting and smart! I hope your channel gets viewed in schools, all ages! My one major request is this: do you have control over your Transcript? Mainly, can your ‘activate’ it? So it can scroll (or better: reader can scroll themselves) for those with hearing restrictions can enjoy your videos like the rest of us. (Or my own reason: i watch, sound off, at work and am sad when i cannot scroll interesting content, like your’s, via transcripts). Cheers!

[@nomaidens8902]

This might be the most relaxing and informative thing i've watched so far, keep up the good work!

[@mrcomment6035]

I heard of this before, so I kind of knew it was going to be about a cuckoo. But the entire process just feels so much more cunning, with the actual babies being pushed out etc.

[@Moosk61]

That's absolutely fascinating! It's a whole new layer of survival strategy in the bird world. It's incredible how these birds adapt to the threat of cuckoo parasitism, making calculated decisions to protect their nests and future offspring. Nature never fails to surprise with its intricate web of behaviors and adaptations! 🐦🌿

[@cheaseceke]

The thumbnail is a Tf2 reference

[@granitticore208]

_There's one impostor among us..._

[@newtonfamily753]

2:18 pov: when you eat too much food

[@Iron_Soil]

This egg is a spy! Spy around here! This egg is a bloody traitor

[@theguyinthecorner2669]

I knew there would be another TF2 enjoyer here

[@aryo.s]

as promised heavy will now lay egg *in your mouth*

[@beerypollens]

“I spy with my little eye!” -Heavy

[@Catholic_Warrior]

@Iron Soil nice haiku!

[@metal0474]

Spy sappin' mah nest

[@brennanperry8001]

Nature is nuts, man. It makes me wonder though. If that bird is unable to recognize that the cuckoo chick isn't theirs, then what things are we just physically unable to comprehend? What things are just in front of us that we don't even -- can't even recognize because our brains don't work in a way that's able to see them?

[@emmymcc1]

You need a tv show! ❤🎉

[@jayyesimone4781]

This feels like I'm watching a Reading Rainbow segment & that makes me enjoy this more

[@livfuji]

I just found this channel and I really enjoyed this video!

[@Dr.IanPlect]

3:58 "simply a pawn in the master plan of the...cuckoo" - A minor point, but one that can be misleading. There's no planning or foresight involved. It's just an example of evolution by natural selection producing a strategy, which has no goal, plan or foresight.

[@freedomdude5420]

It is going to create big bird brains.

[@KyleChampion-pc8yf]

It's a figure of speech...

[@juno_ju]

i audibly gasped when the cuckoo pushed the other chick

[@K_XDXD]

Hmm *takes big egg then throws it out,breaks it*

[@Ps-channel_andstuff]

cuckoo egg: exists me: I'm gonna destroy this.

[@je6243]

Plz keep making videos like this 🥺🙏

[@JordanBeagle]

I know in this case it was actually a cuckoo bird egg, but I did hear that some birds the same species will push their siblings out to make sure they get enough food

[@YesseniaZelaya-xm8db]

How do you make a collection of insects? And how do you spread a insects wings?

[@spidey0123]

One question though, did “big baby” already know how to do that or it’s just inadvertently since he’s too big? Because I remember watching a scene somewhere where there are 3 chicks being fed and one was humongous (the adopted chick).

[@nyancatismyonlyfrand]

It’s part of their evolution. They instinctively know and have grown to be perfect for pushing the siblings out! They know if they don’t do it they will have less food

[@Pangolacey]

as soon as i saw the title of this video, i knew it was a cuckoo bird lol

[@KyuuDesperation]

Dang, this actually scared the poop out of me.

[@Chieseled_Renegade]

Oh my, what happened to the one, who was pushed out of his nest?

[@user-xf7mu7ub9d]

They probably died.

[@Weirdoeevee]

I once saw a dead baby bird, I wonder if this happened, yet again I only saw one.

[@parkeaudio1338]

I love the new video format

[@KankanamgeMallika]

Now I understand why birds throw poop at our house

[@Emuneneisyummy]

I dont know what happened to the other bird tho 💀

[@hcody4040]

I think I just found a new favorite KZbin channel.

[@_hearts4conan.]

can’t wait to watch this!

[@origaminosferatu3357]

Some birds just be built different...evil different.

[@Paulieeeeeee]

Wheres the continuation

[@borttorbbq2556]

You know what I think I probably would have took the cuckoo egg because frick parasites. Now what wood I do with it idk

[@Magics_ghost]

What happened to the baby bird who was kicked out

[@Jesus...Christ]

it died

[@davidt8087]

I knew about this and I HATE CUCKOOS

[@Hellloooo123]

It’s probably another bird that laid its egg in another birds nest.

[@a_randomclown]

I feel superior already knowing this knowledge

[@MichaelTwedt]

Cowbirds do this exact same thing in my area and kill all the finches

[@bangladeshilabourersinbrun1672]

Bro should have saved the smaller 🐦

[@Jesus...Christ]

it's natural 🤦‍♀

[@Kashio]

I don't mind the ads, but I thought there's more after the ad. Maybe a more conclusive ending next time? :(

[@CACLOVE123]

When you so small but your chick is the opposite

[@madnessarcade7447]

I kinda feel bad that u let it happen instead of saving the bird but ig we gotta let nature do it’s thing

[@justaguywithhimikoprofile4332]

It felt like I'm watching blue's clues but the content is uh y'know.

[@jamesisyou2481]

Did the little baby’s that the bigger one pust die😖

[@littlebearbadass]

You should have saved the baby’s when they fell you can be there mom

[@mobandz3017]

He wasn’t actually recording the video it’s from elsewhere

[@gypsygirl0715]

Did u know the roadrunner is in the cuckoo family?

[@chenggonglee4992]

Mister rodgers/ blues clues vibes from the videos. I love it

[@Masham20006]

Cuckoo is evil😮

[@learnvoiceart18]

Ohhhh! Great video👍👍👍

[@mainbarengalthafdanmika5691]

Now I know that if even animals can be sinister! Wow, impressive..

[@qualityconcepts5762]

They aren't meaning to be sinister lol its just in their nature unfortunately. Some birds don't have the instincts to care for young for some reason.

[@madnessarcade7447]

What would have happened if you removed the bad egg

[@Radok.]

saving time In a nutshell 3 eggs was in a nest, 1 was bigger cuz it was different bird and it kicked 2 birds out of nest and big bird just got advantages from other bird

[@ciliegia_2892]

I hope you saved the little bird that fell out of the nest

[@asky-ne7yz]

He could be any one of us, he could be you, he could be me!, he could even be-

[@silvestrecalderon4670]

THE BABYS!!!!!!!

[@kartikmaurya9303]

"Imposter"💀

[@yourlocaltherienfriend]

To join you need to pay money to be a membre or you get paid money for being a member?

[@rosmahtarip9863]

The cuckoo egg you mentioned does'nt look big to me. It looks like the same size as the eggs from the mother bird

[@mayakiaishat3471]

Very educative

[@alexanderx33]

The bird is a paracitic nester. No wonder they squatt in our clocks.

[@AChicken-GOD]

The second i clicked on this video i new it was a cuckoo bird and im in a tide ad so buy TIDE YALL 😂

[@Elbozo12]

Bruh you could've at least saved the chicks that got pushed out

[@Jesus...Christ]

it's natural 🤦‍♀ besides wtf was he going to do with the chicks anyway

[@Nem_da1]

I saw this in a movie

[@behindyou3689]

Does anyone know the music in the background?

[@That_One_Gaming_Guy]

Yo, you just let that bird yeet a another off it's nest, damn.

[@nayelinevarez3595]

The big chick looks so bigger than its nest😮😮😮

[@zombieslayer23]

Idk if you can see this but i was wondering if you could do a vid on the whalebill stork or better known as the shoebill the bird that looks like it was from the dinosaur period lol.

[@mcdragon0123]

This feels like a PBS Kids show or something

[@bboyhanvzla]

one spied over the cukoo's nest.

[@melneils9106]

Great video!

[@liztrim2881]

The among us OG

[@Fresh_Salt17]

Mother didn’t realise

[@Eclipse-The-Fox]

Lol the music

[@Godzillafan2236]

I knew from the start this was a cuckoo or some type of brood parasite.

[@SmolWinkle]

my guess was evasive species or parasite egg

[@LycansDragons]

I’m a wild Krats kid so I new RIGHT AWAY what was wrong

[@punchiwedikkara8350]

Did you do anything to the chick that fell

[@graysnake8585]

And here I thought the ugly duckling was only a story lol

[@gab4ielgamer731]

3:46 YEET