Brood parasitic birds lay their eggs in the nests of others, sparing themselves the expense of rearing their own young. The resulting coevolutionary arms race includes sophisticated defenses by hosts ...

Several animal species display brood care, a phenomenon where ‘caring’ parents provide their offspring with food and protection against predators. However, there are many others that prefer not to do ...

One of the most interesting topics discussed in my Ornithology class was about the “con artists” found in nature… Brood parasitism occurs when a female bird (the parasite) lays her eggs in the nest of ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Parenting can be lots of work for a bird: all that flying back and forth transporting grubs and insects to a nest of demanding ...

Daurian redstarts move their nesting sites closer to or even inside human settlements when cuckoos are around. In doing so, they actively protect their nest against brood parasitism, as cuckoos avoid ...

Some 100 species of birds are what scientists call “obligate brood parasites”–instead of building nests and raising their own young, they lay their eggs in the nests of other species and let those ...

There is an azure blue egg hidden in a hanging basket of ferns on our front porch. It belongs to a female house finch that just about caromed off my forehead last week when I tipped a watering can ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Common cuckoos aren’t known for being model parents. Rather than ...

Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment. Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the ...

Avian brood parasitism is a fascinating reproductive strategy wherein parasitic birds, such as the common cuckoo, lay their eggs in the nests of other avian species. This deceptive tactic forces ...

Daurian redstarts move closer to humans to protect their nests from brood parasitism. Daurian redstarts move their nesting sites closer to or even inside human settlements when cuckoos are around. In ...