Egg mimicry by obligate avian brood parasites and host rejection of non-mimetic eggs are
well-known textbook examples of host–parasite coevolution. By contrast, reciprocal …

Obligate avian brood parasites depend entirely on heterospecific hosts for rearing their
offspring. From hatching until independence, the young parasites must deal with the …

Environmental factors can determine which group size will maximize the fitness of group
members. This is particularly important in cooperative breeders, where group members often …

Adaptive responses to ecological uncertainty may affect the dynamics of interspecific
interactions and shape the course of evolution within symbioses. Obligate avian brood …

Obligate brood parasites neither build their own nests nor rear their offspring. Instead, they
lay their eggs in nests of individuals of other species (hosts) that take care of the parasite's …

Given that population dynamics of birds are known to be sensitive to high fledgling mortality,
a comprehensive understanding of the environmental factors that drive variation in fledgling …

We studied visits to potential host nests by two avian brood parasites, the host generalist
shiny cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis, and the host specialist screaming cowbird, Molothrus …

Interspecific brood parasites exploit the parental care of host species. This exploitation
entails fitness costs for the hosts, which favor the evolution of antiparasitic defenses. Host …

The existence of a brood parasitic nestling in a host nest implies an intrusion in the parent–
offspring communication system, which will have important implications in both food delivery …

The vocalizations of some young brood-parasitic birds closely resemble those of their host's
young. Such similarities might arise because hosts bestow the greatest parental care in …