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={W. Vogl and M. Taborsky and B. Taborsky and Y. Teuschl and M. 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… CONTINUE READING
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