Skip to main content

Table 1 Summary of contrasting predictions of conspecific parasitism (CP) and interspecific parasitism (IP) hypotheses and the results for the two focal host species in this study

From: Host responses to interspecific brood parasitism: a by-product of adaptations to conspecific parasitism?

Response CP IP Results of this study
  (thrushes) (cuckoo) Blackbird Song thrush
Conspecific egg rejection + – + +
CP rejection rate CZ<NZ n.a. CZ<NZ CZ<NZ
CP rejection latency CZ>NZ n.a. CZ<NZ CZ~NZ
IP rejection rate n.a. CZS>CZA>NZ CZS<CZA>NZ CZS~CZA~NZ
IP rejection latency n.a. CZS<CZA<NZ CZS~CZA~NZ CZS~CZA~NZ
  1. Populations of European blackbirds and song thrush, in the Czech Republic (CZ) are either sympatric (S) or micro-allopatric (A; as denoted by subscripts), populations in New Zealand (NZ) are all macro-allopatric with common cuckoos. CP predictions for Czech Republic vs. New Zealand populations are based on differences in the breeding densities of thrushes (higher in New Zealand for both species) and refer to host responses to conspecific eggs. IP predictions are based on sympatry vs. allopatry with cuckoos and refer to non-mimetic cuckoo-like model eggs. See Introduction for the rationale of predictions. n.a. = not applicable.
Back to article page

Frontiers in Zoology

ISSN: 1742-9994