Species Recognition in Brood Parasitic Birds and Their Hosts
Only 1% of avian species are obligate brood parasitic, laying their eggs in nests of other species. Yet they impact nearly 20% of bird species that serve as hosts. How do young parasites recognize their own species and why do some, but not other, hosts accept foreign eggs in their nests. This talk will explore the neuroethological bases of both of these species recognition processes.