Horsfield's bronze cuckoo

Last updated

Horsfield's bronze cuckoo
Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo 0A2A3435.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Chalcites
Species:
C. basalis
Binomial name
Chalcites basalis
(Horsfield, 1821)

Horsfield's bronze cuckoo (Chalcites basalis) is a small cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. Its size averages 22g [2] and is distinguished by its green and bronze iridescent colouring on its back and incomplete brown barring from neck to tail. Horsfield's bronze cuckoo can be destiguished from other bronze cuckoos by its white eyebrow and brown eye stripe. [3] The Horsfield's bronze cuckoo is common throughout Australia preferring the drier open woodlands away from forested areas. [4] This species was formerly placed in the genus Chrysococcyx .

Contents

Taxonomy

The Horsfield's bronze cuckoo is one of five Australian species in the genus Chalcites (formerly Chrysococcyx ) a type of parasitic bird, [3] that parasitises fairy-wrens primarily to raise their young. [2] [5]

Diet and behaviour

Photographed at Capertee Valley, NSW, Australia Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Capertee.JPG
Photographed at Capertee Valley, NSW, Australia

The main diet of the Horsfield's bronze cuckoo is insects and they are nomadic, travelling to different regions of Australia to breed and find food. [5] Small insects are taken from leaves, branches, caught on the wing and in breeding season, Horsfield's bronze cuckoos feed each other in a courtship ritual. [6]

The Horsfield's bronze cuckoo is known as a brood parasite, this means that they lay their eggs in a host species nest. [7] They mainly parasitise the fairy-wrens in the genus Malurus. It has been well documented that the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) and the splendid fairy-wren (Malurus splendens) are the two main species to bear host to the Horsfield's bronze cuckoo, although they may also parasitise other small Passeriformes including thornbills, warblers and scrub-wrens that can be utilised as a secondary host in certain locations. [2] [5] [8] [9] Although the behavioural attributes of a host species may play a role in parasitism, it is thought that the female selects its host through imprinting, remembering the species that it was raised by and ultimately using that species to raise its brood. [10] [11]

Breeding

The Horsfield's bronze cuckoos are known to form monogamous pairs in the breeding season and occupy the same breeding territories as their host species; however, partnerships are short-lived as a female will only occupy the breeding territory for a few weeks, as another female takes her place, she may form a pairing with the same male. [5] Females that leave a breeding site after several weeks may move to another site and continue to breed with another male, forming another bond in a new breeding territory. Breeding territories of the Horsfield's bronze cuckoo generally do not overlap giving rise to the possibility that a pair will defend an area through the season. [9]

Parasitism

As a brood parasite, the Horsfield's bronze cuckoo does not build its own nest but will use a host species' nest to lay its eggs. The breeding season for the Horsfield's bronze cuckoo relies on their host and they will lay one to mimic that of the fairy wren or thornbill's egg, [2] [12] an elongated pinkish-white egg, that is speckled with red-brown spots. The breeding season for the superb fairy-wren is between September and February and a female may have three consecutive broods in this time, allowing the cuckoo multiple attempts to parasitise this species. [13] [14] The female cuckoo may choose a breeding site with a high density of hosts, which allows extra opportunity for her success in parasitising a nest successfully. Studies have shown at one site a female did not parasitise a territory with less than 23 breeding pairs of their primary host (Malurus cyaneus). [5]

The egg of a Horsfield's bronze cuckoo is small for its size, evolving over time to mimic those of their host in what can be described as an evolutionary arms race between parasite and host. Also, the smaller the host for the cuckoo, the likelihood of successfully raising multiple broods thus the energy and nutrients needed to produce more smaller eggs than few larger eggs can be utilised more efficiently. [15] [16] Egg laying is very fast for the Horsfield's bronze cuckoo; it is able to lay an egg in under 6 seconds typically in the morning shortly after the host has laid. [17] The adult cuckoo removes one egg each time she lays, only laying one egg per nest and replacing one host egg with one of her own. [14]

Younger, semi-experienced females were generally selected over new and novice breeding females due to their success and experience. The Horsfield's bronze cuckoo chose females that would choose similar breeding sites to previous years and were likely to raise several broods in one season. [15] Generally, the superb fairy wren will not reject the cuckoo's egg. Fairy-wrens make oval dome nests that can be dark inside, meaning it is harder for the fairy-wren to distinguish between its own egg and the host's egg. Furthermore, the mimicry in eggs from the Horsfield's bronze cuckoo has evolved over time and the parasite eggs are hard to distinguish except for their slight elongation and glossier finish. [2] [9] [12]

The cuckoo chick hatches within 12 days of incubation, 2 days before the host egg, ejecting other eggs in the nests within two days of hatching, leaving the cuckoo the sole chick. As newly hatched cuckoo chicks eject host eggs they do not get to learn the host's begging call, but can possess begging call polymorphism, where nestlings produce the calls of their primary host. [8] [12] [18] [19] As the nestling grows it will be fed by the host parent and possibly the group, growing more rapidly until fledged.

Coevolutionary arms race

Counter-adaptations have been documented for host species and cuckoos alike, as each adapts to the other in a coevolutionary "arms race". [20] Studies show that coevolutions happen at all stages of the growth cycle, not just the early stages. [21] [22] [23]

Fairy-wrens have adapted some host defences to reduce parasitism. The high cost of hosting a parasitic species, in energy and genetics, drives the host to improve its defences, which in turn drive the parasite to improve its offences. [24]

Among the host's defensive adaptations:

Among the cuckoo's adaptations:

Media

Typical call, SE Queensland, Australia

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuckoo</span> Family of birds

Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes. The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals, and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separated as distinct families, the Centropodidae and Crotophagidae, respectively. The cuckoo order Cuculiformes is one of three that make up the Otidimorphae, the other two being the turacos and the bustards. The family Cuculidae contains 150 species, which are divided into 33 genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common cuckoo</span> Species of bird

The cuckoo, common cuckoo, European cuckoo or Eurasian cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superb fairywren</span> Species of bird

The superb fairywren is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae, and is common and familiar across south-eastern Australia. It is a sedentary and territorial species, also exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism; the male in breeding plumage has a striking bright blue forehead, ear coverts, mantle, and tail, with a black mask and black or dark blue throat. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles are predominantly grey-brown in colour; this gave the early impression that males were polygamous, as all dull-coloured birds were taken for females. Six subspecies groups are recognized: three larger and darker forms from Tasmania, Flinders and King Island respectively, and three smaller and paler forms from mainland Australia and Kangaroo Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian koel</span> Species of bird

The Asian koel is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia. It forms a superspecies with the closely related black-billed koels, and Pacific koels which are sometimes treated as subspecies. The Asian koel like many of its related cuckoo kin is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of crows and other hosts, who raise its young. They are unusual among the cuckoos in being largely frugivorous as adults. The name koel is echoic in origin with several language variants. The bird is a widely used symbol in Indian and Nepali poetry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brood parasitism</span> Animal reliance on other individuals to raise its young

Brood parasitism is a subclass of parasitism and phenomenon and behavioural pattern of animals that rely on others to raise their young. The strategy appears among birds, insects and fish. The brood parasite manipulates a host, either of the same or of another species, to raise its young as if it were its own, usually using egg mimicry, with eggs that resemble the host's. The strategy involves a form of aggressive mimicry called Kirbyan mimicry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Variegated fairywren</span> Species of bird

The variegated fairywren is a fairywren that lives in eastern Australia. As a species that exhibits sexual dimorphism, the brightly coloured breeding male has chestnut shoulders and azure crown and ear coverts, while non-breeding males, females and juveniles have predominantly grey-brown plumage, although females of two subspecies have mainly blue-grey plumage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brush cuckoo</span> Species of bird

The brush cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo family.

Habitat selection hypothesis is one of several hypotheses that attempt to explain the mechanisms of brood parasite host selection in cuckoos. Cuckoos are not the only brood parasites, however the behavior is more rare in other groups of birds, including ducks, weavers, and cowbirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Splendid fairywren</span> Species of bird

The splendid fairywren is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is also known simply as the splendid wren or more colloquially in Western Australia as the blue wren. The splendid fairywren is found across much of the Australian continent from central-western New South Wales and southwestern Queensland over to coastal Western Australia. It inhabits predominantly arid and semi-arid regions. Exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism, the male in breeding plumage is a small, long-tailed bird of predominantly bright blue and black colouration. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles are predominantly grey-brown in colour; this gave the early impression that males were polygamous as all dull-coloured birds were taken for females. It comprises several similar all-blue and black subspecies that were originally considered separate species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buff-rumped thornbill</span> Species of bird

The buff-rumped thornbill is a small passerine bird species belonging to the genus Acanthiza, most of which are endemic to Australia. Measuring 8–10 cm in length, this unassuming thornbill is characterised by its plain greenish brown upperparts and very pale-yellow underparts, with a distinctive buff coloured rump. The tail has a broad, blackish band with a paler tip. Adults possess white irises, whilst juveniles have dark eyes. The buff-rumped thornbill is one of 14 species within the genus Acanthiza genus, which are recognisable by their thin, pointed bill. Species are unique in their plumage and distribution. Despite their shared name, the genus is not related to hummingbirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shining bronze cuckoo</span> Species of bird

The shining bronze cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae, found in Australia, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. It was formerly placed in the genus Chrysococcyx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-eared cuckoo</span> Species of bird

The black-eared cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. Found across Australia, it migrates to eastern Indonesia and southern New Guinea. They are usually observed by themselves or in a pair as they don't raise their own young, rather they leave eggs in another species nest to be raised by host. This species was formerly placed in the genus Chrysococcyx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Striated grasswren</span> Species of bird

The striated grasswren is a small, cryptically coloured ground-dwelling species of wren-like bird in the family Maluridae, endemic to Australia. It occupies a large discontinuous range across arid and semi-arid areas of western, central and southern Australia where it is associated with spinifex (Triodia) grass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovely fairywren</span> Species of bird

The lovely fairywren, or lovely wren, is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is endemic to northeastern Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple-crowned fairywren</span> Species of songbird endemic to northern Australia in the family Maluridae

The purple-crowned fairywren is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is the largest of the eleven species in the genus Malurus and is endemic to northern Australia. The species name is derived from the Latin word cǒrōna meaning "crown", owing to the distinctive purple circle of crown feathers sported by breeding males. Genetic evidence shows that the purple-crowned fairywren is most closely related to the superb fairywren and splendid fairywren. Purple-crowned fairywrens can be distinguished from other fairywrens in northern Australia by the presence of cheek patches and the deep blue colour of their perky tails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-winged fairywren</span> Passerine bird in the Australasian wren family

The red-winged fairywren is a species of passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is non-migratory and endemic to the southwestern corner of Western Australia. Exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism, the male adopts a brilliantly coloured breeding plumage, with an iridescent silvery-blue crown, ear coverts and upper back, red shoulders, contrasting with a black throat, grey-brown tail and wings and pale underparts. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles have predominantly grey-brown plumage, though males may bear isolated blue and black feathers. No separate subspecies are recognised. Similar in appearance and closely related to the variegated fairywren and the blue-breasted fairywren, it is regarded as a separate species as no intermediate forms have been recorded where their ranges overlap. Though the red-winged fairywren is locally common, there is evidence of a decline in numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-winged fairywren</span> Australian species of bird

The white-winged fairywren is a species of passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It lives in the drier parts of Central Australia; from central Queensland and South Australia across to Western Australia. Like other fairywrens, this species displays marked sexual dimorphism and one or more males of a social group grow brightly coloured plumage during the breeding season. The female is sandy-brown with light-blue tail feathers; it is smaller than the male, which, in breeding plumage, has a bright-blue body, black bill, and white wings. Younger sexually mature males are almost indistinguishable from females and are often the breeding males. In spring and summer, a troop of white-winged fairywrens has a brightly coloured older male accompanied by small, inconspicuous brown birds, many of which are also male. Three subspecies are recognised. Apart from the mainland subspecies, one is found on Dirk Hartog Island, and another on Barrow Island off the coast of Western Australia. Males from these islands have black rather than blue breeding plumage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose robin</span> Species of songbird native to southeastern Australia

The rose robin is a small passerine bird native to Australia. Like many brightly coloured robins of the Petroicidae, it is sexually dimorphic. The male has a distinctive pink breast. Its upperparts are dark grey with white frons, and its tail black with white tips. The underparts and shoulder are white. The female is an undistinguished grey-brown. The robin has a small black bill and eyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egg tossing (behavior)</span> Behavior observed in some species of birds

Egg tossing or egg destruction is a behavior observed in some species of birds where one individual removes an egg from the communal nest. This is related to infanticide, where parents kill their own or other's offspring. Egg tossing is observed in avian species, most commonly females, who are involved with cooperative breeding or brood parasitism. Among colonial non-co-nesting birds, egg-tossing is observed to be performed by an individual of the same species, and, in the case of brood parasites, this behavior is done by either the same or different species. The behavior of egg tossing offers its advantages and disadvantages to both the actor and recipient.

In evolutionary biology, mimicry in vertebrates is mimicry by a vertebrate of some model, deceiving some other animal, the dupe. Mimicry differs from camouflage as it is meant to be seen, while animals use camouflage to remain hidden. Visual, olfactory, auditory, biochemical, and behavioral modalities of mimicry have been documented in vertebrates.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Chrysococcyx basalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Brooker, M.G; Brooker, L.C (1989a). "Cuckoo Hosts in Australia". Aust Zool Rev. 2: 1–67.
  3. 1 2 Morcombe, Michael (2003). Field Guide to Australian Birds (second ed.). Australia: Pascal Press. p. 192. ISBN   9781740214179.
  4. Brooker, M.G; Brooker, L.C (1992). "Evidence for Individual Female Host Specificity in 2 Australian Bronze-Cuckoos (Chrysococcyx Spp)". Australian Journal of Zoology. 40 (5): 485–493. doi:10.1071/zo9920485.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Langmore, N.E; Kilner, R.M (2007). "Breeding site and host selection by Horsfield's bronze-cuckoos Chalcites basalis". Animal Behaviour. 74 (4): 995–1004. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.02.028. S2CID   53146815.
  6. Lorenzana, J.C; Sealy, S.G (1998). "Adult Brood Parasites Feeding Nestlings and Fledglings of Their Own Species: A Review". Journal of Field Ornithology: 364–375.
  7. Davies, N.B (2010). Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Cheats. A&C Black.
  8. 1 2 Brooker, M.G; Brooker, L.C (1989b). "The comparative breeding behaviour of two sympatric cuckoos, Horsfield's Bronze‐Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis and the Shining Bronze‐Cuckoo C. lucidus, in Western Australia: a new model for the evolution of egg morphology and host specificity in avian brood parasites". Ibis. 131 (4): 528–547. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.1989.tb04789.x.
  9. 1 2 3 Langmore, N.E; Kilner, R.M (2009a). "Why do Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo Chalcites basalis eggs mimic those of their hosts?". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 63 (8): 1127–1131. doi:10.1007/s00265-009-0759-9. S2CID   24883682.
  10. Lack, D (1963). "Cuckoo hosts in England". Bird Study. 10 (4): 185–203. doi: 10.1080/00063656309476050 .
  11. Brooker, L.C; Brooker, M.G (1990). "Why are cuckoos host specific?". Oikos. 57 (3): 301–309. doi:10.2307/3565958. JSTOR   3565958.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Langmore, N.E; Hunt, S; Kilner, R.M (2003). "Escalation of a co-evolutionary arms race through host rejection of brood parasitic young". Nature. 422 (6928): 157–160. Bibcode:2003Natur.422..157L. doi:10.1038/nature01460. PMID   12634784. S2CID   4428447.
  13. Cockburn, A; Sims, R.A; Osmond, H.L; Green, D.J; Double, M.C; Mulder, R.A (2008). "Can we measure the benefits of help in cooperatively breeding birds: the case of Superb Fairy-wrens Malurus cyaneus". Journal of Animal Ecology. 77 (3): 430–438. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2007.01351.x . PMID   18312341.
  14. 1 2 3 Langmore, N.E; Kilner, R.M (2010). "The coevolutionary arms race between Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoos and Superb Fairy-wrens". Emu. 110 (1): 32–38. doi:10.1071/mu09032. S2CID   86190974.
  15. 1 2 3 Brooker, L; Brooker, M (1996). "Acceptance by the splendid fairy-wren of parasitism by Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo: further evidence for evolutionary equilibrium in brood parasitism". Behavioral Ecology. 7 (4): 395–407. doi: 10.1093/beheco/7.4.395 .
  16. Payne, R.B (1974). "The evolution of clutch size and reproductive rates in parasitic cuckoos" (PDF). Evolution. 28 (2): 169–181. doi:10.2307/2407320. hdl: 2027.42/137250 . JSTOR   2407320. PMID   28563269.
  17. Brooker, M.G; Brooker, L.C; Rowley, I (1988). "Egg deposition by the bronze-cuckoos Chrysococcyx basalis and Ch. lucidus". Emu. 88 (2): 107–109. doi:10.1071/mu9880107.
  18. Langmore, N.E; Maurer, G; Adcock, G.J; Kilner, R.M (2008). "Socially Acquired Host-Specific Mimicry and the Evolution of Host Races in Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo Chalcites basalis". Evolution. 62 (7): 1689–1699. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00405.x . PMID   18419751.
  19. Payne, R.B; Payne, L.L (1998). "Nestling eviction and vocal begging behaviors in the Australian glossy cuckoos Chrysococcyx basalis and C. lucidus". Oxford Ornithology Series. 9: 152–172.
  20. Dawkins, R; Krebs, J.R (1979). "Arms races between and within species". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences. 205 (1161): 489–511. Bibcode:1979RSPSB.205..489D. doi:10.1098/rspb.1979.0081. PMID   42057. S2CID   9695900.
  21. 1 2 Welbergen, J.A; Davies, N.B (2009). "Strategic variation in mobbing as a front line of defense against brood parasitism". Current Biology. 19 (3): 235–240. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2008.12.041 . PMID   19185495. S2CID   2619455.
  22. 1 2 Feeney, W.E; Welbergen, J.A; Langmore, N.E (2012). "The frontline of avian brood parasite–host coevolution". Animal Behaviour. 84 (1): 3–12. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.04.011. S2CID   53201268.
  23. Feeney, William E.; Welbergen, Justin A.; Langmore, Naomi E. (2014). "Advances in the Study of Coevolution Between Avian Brood Parasites and Their Hosts". Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. 45 (1): 227–246. doi:10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-120213-091603. hdl: 1885/66602 .
  24. Kilner, R.M; Langmore, N.E (2011). "Cuckoos versus hosts in insects and birds: adaptations, counter‐adaptations and outcomes". Biological Reviews. 86 (4): 836–852. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00173.x. hdl: 1885/64168 . PMID   21223481. S2CID   3889366.
  25. Brown, M; Lawes, M.J (2007). "Colony size and nest density predict the likelihood of parasitism in the colonial southern red bishop Euplectes orix–diderick cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius system". Ibis. 149 (2): 321–327. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.2006.00633.x.
  26. Canestrari, D; Marcos, J.M; Baglione, V (2009). "Cooperative breeding in carrion crows reduces the rate of brood parasitism by great spotted cuckoos". Animal Behaviour. 77 (5): 1337–1344. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.02.009. S2CID   53171888.
  27. Aviles, J.M; Vikan, J.R; Fossoy, F; Antonov, A; Moksnes, A; Roskaft, E; Stokke, B.G (2010). ". Avian colour perception predicts behavioural responses to experimental brood parasitism in chaffinches". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 23 (2): 293–301. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01898.x . PMID   20002251.
  28. Spottiswoode, C.N; Stevens, M (2010). "Visual modeling shows that avian host parents use multiple visual cues in rejecting parasitic eggs". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 107 (19): 8672–8676. Bibcode:2010PNAS..107.8672S. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0910486107 . PMC   2889299 . PMID   20421497.
  29. Stoddard, M.C; Stevens, M (2010). "Pattern mimicry of host eggs by the common cuckoo, as seen through a bird's eye". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 277 (1686): 1387–1393. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.2018. PMC   2871939 . PMID   20053650.
  30. Langmore, N.E; Stevens, M; Maurer, G; Kilner, R.M (2009b). "Are dark cuckoo eggs cryptic in host nests?". Animal Behaviour. 78 (2): 461–468. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.06.003. S2CID   54230252.
  31. Marchant, S (1972). "Evolution of the genus Chrysococcyx". Ibis. 114 (2): 219–233. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.1972.tb02604.x.
  32. Brooker, MG; Brooker, L.C (1991). "Eggshell strength in cuckoos and cowbirds". Ibis. 133 (4): 406–413. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.1991.tb04589.x.
  33. Antonov, A; Stokke, B.G; Moksnes, A; Roskaft, E (2009). "Evidence for egg discrimination preceding failed rejection attempts in a small cuckoo host". Biology Letters. 5 (2): 169–171. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2008.0645. PMC   2665817 . PMID   19126530.
  34. Davies, N.B; Brooke, M.D.L (1988). "Cuckoos versus reed warblers: adaptations and counteradaptations". Animal Behaviour. 36 (1): 262–284. doi:10.1016/s0003-3472(88)80269-0. S2CID   53191651.