nest parasitism
Cuckoo's reproductive strategy
Nest parasitism is a reproductive strategy where one animal exploits another's parental care.
In brood parasitism, birds like cuckoos and cowbirds lay eggs in other species' nests, leaving the host parents to raise their young—often at the expense of the host's own offspring.
The term also applies to similar behavior in insects and fish.
- cowbirdBrood-parasitic passerine
- cuckooBrood parasite bird
- coevolutionReciprocal adaptation between interacting species
- arms raceEscalating weapons accumulation between nations
- genetic adaptationHeritable survival-enhancing modification
nesting sites · brood parasite · host species · eviction · rejection · selective pressure · ecological niche · mimic · resource allocation · egg · gene flow · host · warbler · hatchling · clutch · intruder · deception · adoption
- brood careincubation, brooding, parental care, maternal care, hatching
- parasitismbloodsucking, leeching, exploiting, infecting, infestation
- food thievesfood theft, pilfering, frigatebird, skua, jaeger
parental care strategy
nest parasitismparental care
Offspring protection and nurturing
brooding · maternal care · incubation · nest building · provisioning