Common Cuckoos(Cuculus canorus) parasitize nests of small passerines.e Cuckoo chicks cause the death of their nest-mates when evicting eggs or nestlings from the nests;consequently,hosts su er from a high loss of repr...Common Cuckoos(Cuculus canorus) parasitize nests of small passerines.e Cuckoo chicks cause the death of their nest-mates when evicting eggs or nestlings from the nests;consequently,hosts su er from a high loss of reproduction.Host adaptations against parasitism,e.g.,by egg discrimination behavior,and cuckoo counter-adaptations to hosts,e.g.,by mimetic eggs,are often regarded as a result of the arms race between the two interacting species.In Hungary Great Reed Warblers(Acrocephalus arundinaceus) are the main hosts of cuckoos,su ering from heavy parasitism(ca.40-65%).e Oriental Reed Warbler(A.orientalis),formerly a subspecies of the Great Reed Warbler(A.a.orientalis),is also a highly parasitized host in Japan(25-40%).We compared main characteristics of Cuckoo parasitism in these two distant areas from the Western and Eastern Palearctic by comparing cuckoo egg mimicry.We measured color characteristics of host and parasitic eggs by spectrophotometer.Visual modeling revealed lower chromatic distances between Cuckoo and host eggs in Hungary than in Japan,but high variation both in host and Cuckoo eggs may cause matching problems in Hungary.Achromatic(brightness) di erence between host and Cuckoo eggs were lower in Japan than in Hungary,and it proved to be the most important factor a ecting egg rejection.Hosts rejected Cuckoo eggs at similar frequencies(37% and 35% in Hungary and Japan,respectively).Host adaptation,i.e.,egg rejection behavior,seems to be preceding Cuckoo counter-adaptations to hosts in Japan.We suggest that the Cuckoo-Great/Oriental Reed Warbler relationships developed in alternative ways in Japan and Hungary,and they represent di erent stages of their arms race.展开更多
Moustached Warbler （Acrocephalus melanopogon）, belonging to the genus of Acrocephalus and the family of Acrocephalidae, breeds widely but locally in the warm temperate regions from Northwest Africa and eastern Iberi...Moustached Warbler （Acrocephalus melanopogon）, belonging to the genus of Acrocephalus and the family of Acrocephalidae, breeds widely but locally in the warm temperate regions from Northwest Africa and eastern Iberian Peninsula to eastern Kazakhstan. However, this species has never been scientifically recorded in China. On 22 April 2016, a Moustached Warbler was observed in Ulanbuy wetland （43°36′N, 87°43′E; 1114 m a.s.l.）, Urumqi, Xinjiang of China. This was the first photography-confirmed record of Moustached Warbler in China. As Moustached Warbler is a songbird, the songs were then recorded on 18 May 2016 using a Sony PCM D-100 recorder and the song characteristics were analyzed using Avisoft-SASLab software. The result showed that the mean maximum frequency of song strophes was 6.64 （±0.47） kHz and the mean minimum frequency of song strophes was 1.72 （±0.14） kHz. This study could considered as a supplement of the checklist of birds in China.展开更多
Avian interspecific brood parasitism is an excellent system for studying coevolutionary processes in nature because brood parasites directly affect host reproductive success.Most research on avian brood parasitism has...Avian interspecific brood parasitism is an excellent system for studying coevolutionary processes in nature because brood parasites directly affect host reproductive success.Most research on avian brood parasitism has,therefore,focused primarily on specific host anti-parasite behaviours and parasite counter-adaptations.However,the population-level consequences of brood parasitism for host species are poorly understood.This study investigated the effect of Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus)parasitism on the productivity of a local population of the Great Reed Warbler(Acrocephalus arundinaceus)host in south-western Slovakia.A total of 495 females nesting at the studied site successfully fledged 1321 of their own young and 63 young of the Common Cuckoo over the course of 15 years(2008-2022),and the annual rate of successful parasitism ranged from 18% to 44% over this period.As predicted,higher rates of successful cuckoo parasitism significantly reduced the annual productivity of the local Great Reed Warbler population,and its contribution to decreased host reproductive success was at about the same rate as overall nest failure caused by predation and other environmental factors.Such a heavily parasitized population was probably maintained by immigrants from other populations and density-dependent selection,which is also consistent with source-sink dynamics.However,further long-term studies monitoring parasitized populations are required to confirm these findings.展开更多
Rates of brood parasitism vary extensively among host species and populations of a single host species. In this study, we documented and compared parasitism rates of two sympatric hosts, the Oriental Reed Warbler （Ac...Rates of brood parasitism vary extensively among host species and populations of a single host species. In this study, we documented and compared parasitism rates of two sympatric hosts, the Oriental Reed Warbler （Acrocephalus orientalis） and the Reed Parrotbill （Paradoxornis heudei）, in three populations in China. We found that the Common Cuckoo （Cuculus canorus） is the only parasite using both the Oriental Reed Warbler and Reed Parrotbill as hosts, with a parasitism rate of 22.4%-34.3% and 0%-4.6%, respectively. The multiple parasitism rates were positively correlated with local parasitism rates across three geographic populations of Oriental Reed Warbler, which implies that higher pressure of parasitism lead to higher multiple parasitism rate. Furthermore, only one phenotype of cuckoo eggs was found in the nests of these two host species. Our results lead to two conclusions： （1） The Oriental Reed Warbler should be considered the major host of Common Cuckoo in our study sites; and （2） obligate parasitism on Oriental Reed Warbler by Common Cuckoo is specialized but flexible to some extent, i.e., using Reed Parrotbill as a secondary host. Further studies focusing on egg recognition and rejection behaviour of these two host species should be conducted to test our predictions.展开更多
基金supported by the bilateral project of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)the Hungarian Academy of Sciences to F.T. and C.M. 2003-2005+1 种基金by the Hungarian Scienti c Research Fund (OTKAgrant No.T35015,48397 and 83217) to C.M. e Duna-Ipoly and Kiskunság National Parks provided permissions for research
文摘Common Cuckoos(Cuculus canorus) parasitize nests of small passerines.e Cuckoo chicks cause the death of their nest-mates when evicting eggs or nestlings from the nests;consequently,hosts su er from a high loss of reproduction.Host adaptations against parasitism,e.g.,by egg discrimination behavior,and cuckoo counter-adaptations to hosts,e.g.,by mimetic eggs,are often regarded as a result of the arms race between the two interacting species.In Hungary Great Reed Warblers(Acrocephalus arundinaceus) are the main hosts of cuckoos,su ering from heavy parasitism(ca.40-65%).e Oriental Reed Warbler(A.orientalis),formerly a subspecies of the Great Reed Warbler(A.a.orientalis),is also a highly parasitized host in Japan(25-40%).We compared main characteristics of Cuckoo parasitism in these two distant areas from the Western and Eastern Palearctic by comparing cuckoo egg mimicry.We measured color characteristics of host and parasitic eggs by spectrophotometer.Visual modeling revealed lower chromatic distances between Cuckoo and host eggs in Hungary than in Japan,but high variation both in host and Cuckoo eggs may cause matching problems in Hungary.Achromatic(brightness) di erence between host and Cuckoo eggs were lower in Japan than in Hungary,and it proved to be the most important factor a ecting egg rejection.Hosts rejected Cuckoo eggs at similar frequencies(37% and 35% in Hungary and Japan,respectively).Host adaptation,i.e.,egg rejection behavior,seems to be preceding Cuckoo counter-adaptations to hosts in Japan.We suggest that the Cuckoo-Great/Oriental Reed Warbler relationships developed in alternative ways in Japan and Hungary,and they represent di erent stages of their arms race.
基金supported by the Investigation of Terrestrial Wildlife Resources in the Zoogeographic Unit of North Slopes of the Tianshan Mountains,Xinjiang,China(XJLK2014009)the Second Wetland Resource Survey of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(XJLK2011008)the National Key Research and Development Programme(2016YFC1200700)
文摘Moustached Warbler （Acrocephalus melanopogon）, belonging to the genus of Acrocephalus and the family of Acrocephalidae, breeds widely but locally in the warm temperate regions from Northwest Africa and eastern Iberian Peninsula to eastern Kazakhstan. However, this species has never been scientifically recorded in China. On 22 April 2016, a Moustached Warbler was observed in Ulanbuy wetland （43°36′N, 87°43′E; 1114 m a.s.l.）, Urumqi, Xinjiang of China. This was the first photography-confirmed record of Moustached Warbler in China. As Moustached Warbler is a songbird, the songs were then recorded on 18 May 2016 using a Sony PCM D-100 recorder and the song characteristics were analyzed using Avisoft-SASLab software. The result showed that the mean maximum frequency of song strophes was 6.64 （±0.47） kHz and the mean minimum frequency of song strophes was 1.72 （±0.14） kHz. This study could considered as a supplement of the checklist of birds in China.
文摘Avian interspecific brood parasitism is an excellent system for studying coevolutionary processes in nature because brood parasites directly affect host reproductive success.Most research on avian brood parasitism has,therefore,focused primarily on specific host anti-parasite behaviours and parasite counter-adaptations.However,the population-level consequences of brood parasitism for host species are poorly understood.This study investigated the effect of Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus)parasitism on the productivity of a local population of the Great Reed Warbler(Acrocephalus arundinaceus)host in south-western Slovakia.A total of 495 females nesting at the studied site successfully fledged 1321 of their own young and 63 young of the Common Cuckoo over the course of 15 years(2008-2022),and the annual rate of successful parasitism ranged from 18% to 44% over this period.As predicted,higher rates of successful cuckoo parasitism significantly reduced the annual productivity of the local Great Reed Warbler population,and its contribution to decreased host reproductive success was at about the same rate as overall nest failure caused by predation and other environmental factors.Such a heavily parasitized population was probably maintained by immigrants from other populations and density-dependent selection,which is also consistent with source-sink dynamics.However,further long-term studies monitoring parasitized populations are required to confirm these findings.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31071938 and 31272328 to WL,31101646 and 31260514 to CY)Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University(NCET-10-0111 to WL)the United Foundation for Natural Science of National Natural Science Foundation of China and People's Government of Guangdong Province(U0833005 to ZZ)
文摘Rates of brood parasitism vary extensively among host species and populations of a single host species. In this study, we documented and compared parasitism rates of two sympatric hosts, the Oriental Reed Warbler （Acrocephalus orientalis） and the Reed Parrotbill （Paradoxornis heudei）, in three populations in China. We found that the Common Cuckoo （Cuculus canorus） is the only parasite using both the Oriental Reed Warbler and Reed Parrotbill as hosts, with a parasitism rate of 22.4%-34.3% and 0%-4.6%, respectively. The multiple parasitism rates were positively correlated with local parasitism rates across three geographic populations of Oriental Reed Warbler, which implies that higher pressure of parasitism lead to higher multiple parasitism rate. Furthermore, only one phenotype of cuckoo eggs was found in the nests of these two host species. Our results lead to two conclusions： （1） The Oriental Reed Warbler should be considered the major host of Common Cuckoo in our study sites; and （2） obligate parasitism on Oriental Reed Warbler by Common Cuckoo is specialized but flexible to some extent, i.e., using Reed Parrotbill as a secondary host. Further studies focusing on egg recognition and rejection behaviour of these two host species should be conducted to test our predictions.
