Female Cuckoo Calls Are More Effective at Attracting Breeding Male Cuckoos and Their Hosts Than Male Cuckoo Calls.

ABSTRACT: Vocalizations during the breeding season play a significant role in both intra- and inter-specific communications. There have been numerous studies on the calls and functions of the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus [CC]). However, there is limited research on the calls and functions of female CCs. This study conducted a playback experiment of 90 sample sizes on actively breeding CCs and their hosts in Jilin Province, China, during the 2022 breeding season (May to August), with calls from female CCs, male CCs, and males of the Himalayan cuckoo (C. saturates [CS]) as control groups. The results showed that the calls of both male and female CCs attracted CCs and their hosts in the experimental area, while the control group did not attract any birds. The attracted CCs were predomin

SUBMITTER: Yan H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12391017 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature