Birds use eggshell UV reflectance when recognizing non-mimetic parasitic eggs

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68081766%3A_____%2F16%3A00453785" target="_blank" >RIV/68081766:_____/16:00453785 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11310/16:10333026

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arv206" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arv206</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arv206" target="_blank" >10.1093/beheco/arv206</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Birds use eggshell UV reflectance when recognizing non-mimetic parasitic eggs

Original language description

Brood parasitism generally has detrimental effect on host fitness. To avoid the negative consequences of brood parasitism, hosts have often evolved an effective counter-adaptation—recognition and rejection of parasitic eggs. Because eggshells of the Eurasian reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and its brood parasite, the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), differ significantly in their ultraviolet (UV) reflectance, one would expect that the ability of the hosts to see UV light will play an important role in recognition and rejection of parasitic eggs. To test this assumption, we performed 3 sets of experiments differing in the level of mimicry of the parasitic egg. In the first 2 experiments, we parasitized host nests by conspecific eggs (either own or from other females with perfect and good mimicry, respectively) coated either with a UV blocker (completely reducing UV reflectance of the eggshell) or with Vaseline as a control treatment. Although the UV blocker significantly decreased eggshell UV reflectance, hosts accepted most of these conspecific eggs and the type of coating did not significantly affect the probability of rejection. In the third experiment, we parasitized clutches with 2 types of non-mimetic eggs differing only in UV reflectance (UV and UV+). We found that hosts rejected UV+ eggs at a significantly higher rate than UV eggs, probably due to their lower mimicry in the UV spectrum. Here, we demonstrated that hosts use UV signals during egg recognition. Moreover, we suggest that such signals may play a more important role when the parasitic egg is non-mimetic rather than mimetic, when hosts can use additional cues, such as spotting pattern.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_x - Unclassified - Peer-reviewed scientific article (Jimp, Jsc and Jost)

CEP classification

EG - Zoology

OECD FORD branch

—

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2016

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Behavioral Ecology

ISSN

1045-2249

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

27

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

8

Pages from-to

677-684

UT code for WoS article

000375398800043

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-84964691909