Supernormal Stimulus Begging Calls of Brood-Parasitic Nestlings Depress the Parental Care in an Uncommon Host.

ABSTRACT: During the nestling period, brood-parasitic birds stimulate host parents to provide food through complex visual and auditory signals, including emitting supernormal stimuli in the form of begging calls to increase the feeding frequency. However, whether the begging calls of brood-parasitic nestlings act as a universal type of supernormal stimulus signal and their effects on less common host species still require further research. In this study, we used playback recordings to verify the impact of the begging calls of Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) nestlings on the parental care behavior of host Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) parents. Contrary to our expectations, the results showed that male Barn Swallow parents decreased their feeding frequency in response to both types of C

SUBMITTER: Tian L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12276819 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature