Cuckoo females preferentially use specific habitats when searching for host nests

@article{Vogl2002CuckooFP,
  title={Cuckoo females preferentially use specific habitats when searching for host nests},
  author={Wolfgang Vogl and Michael Taborsky and Barbara Taborsky and Y Teuschl and Marcel Honza},
  journal={Animal Behaviour},
  year={2002},
  volume={64},
  pages={843-850}
}
Egg mimicry is an important adaptation of common cuckoos, Cuculus canorus, against rejection of eggs by their respective hosts. A precondition for the maintenance of egg mimicry is that female cuckoos find hosts with a matching egg type. Experimental evidence indicated that habitat imprinting may be important for host selection. We tested whether the spacing and laying patterns of female cuckoos in the field are compatible with the supposed habitat-imprinting mechanism. We observed 16 females… Expand
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TLDR
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TLDR
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TLDR
The maternal relationships were used to record each cuckoo female's host choice and the results supported the Host Preference Hypothesis since no female was recorded to have parasitised more than one of four congeneric host species breeding in the area. Expand
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