brood parasite
Egg-dumping species
A brood parasite is an animal that tricks another species into raising its young.
The cuckoo is the classic example—it lays eggs in other birds' nests, and the unwitting host raises the cuckoo chick as its own, often at the expense of its actual offspring.
The term extends to any species employing this reproductive strategy: Cowbirds are brood parasites of songbirds.
Brood parasite bird
- cowbirdBrood-parasitic passerine
- honeyguideBee-locating African bird
- whydahAfrican finch, dramatic tail
Organism supporting a parasite
- foster parentTemporary guardian of another's child
- surrogateOne acting for another
- provisioningSupplying resources in advance
- feedingGiving food to
Escalating weapons accumulation between nations
- evolutionary adaptationInherited trait aiding survival
- selection pressureForce favoring certain traits
Defeating through superior performance
- fledgingAcquiring adult feathers
- imprintingRapid early learning attachment
cuckoo
Brood parasite bird
- cowbirdBrood-parasitic passerine
- honeyguideBee-locating African bird
- whydahAfrican finch, dramatic tail
host species
Organism supporting a parasite
- foster parentTemporary guardian of another's child
- surrogateOne acting for another
- provisioningSupplying resources in advance
arms race
Escalating weapons accumulation between nations
- evolutionary adaptationInherited trait aiding survival
- selection pressureForce favoring certain traits
outcompeting
Defeating through superior performance
- fledgingAcquiring adult feathers
- imprintingRapid early learning attachment
visual deception
Trick of the eye
egg laying
Depositing fertilized ova externally
- reproductive strategyApproach to producing young
- coevolutioncoevolution, arms race, Red Queen hypothesis, cospeciation, predator-prey
- parasitestapeworm, roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, fleas
- bird typessongbird, raptor, waterfowl, seabird, shorebird
- ecological rolesproducer, consumer, decomposer, predator, prey
- symbiosissymbiosis, mycorrhizae, symbiont, symbiotic, mutualism
- feedersbird feeder, pet feeder, hummingbird feeder, tube feeder, hanging feeder
brood parasitehost species
Organism supporting a parasite
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