Abstract
Obligate avian brood parasites usually require longer and/or more parental care than host progeny and thus may have a detrimental effect on survival of host parents. Many hosts of brood parasites are long-distance migrants, spending significant proportions of annual cycles at different sites around the world, which makes correct timing of particular events within these cycles of utmost importance. Nevertheless, conditions in a given phase of the annual cycle may influence the timing of the following phases via carry-over effects. Here, we explored whether great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) parents fostering a brood-parasitic common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) were delayed on departure from the breeding site and arrival at the wintering sites compared to the parents caring for own nestlings. Additionally, we tested whether the parents with nestlings hatched later in the season set out for autumn migration and arrived at the wintering sites later than the parents with nestlings hatched earlier in the season and whether female parents lagged in time behind male parents during autumn migration. We found that the parents fostering the common cuckoo were delayed neither on departure from the breeding site nor on arrival at the wintering sites compared to the parents rearing own nestlings. Moreover, there was no effect of hatching date and parent sex on the timing of autumn migration. Future studies may rather focus on tracking female parents which could be more affected by the care for a brood parasite than male parents. Future researchers may also strive to monitor post-fledging survival of young, as increased mortality of either the brood-parasitic or host fledglings could affect the end of host parental care and thus also the timing of host autumn migration.
Zusammenfassung
Hat die Aufzucht eines Brutparasiten einen Einfluss auf den Zeitpunkt des Abzuges der Wirte?
Obligate Vogelbrutparasiten benötigen in der Regel eine längere und/oder intensivere Elternpflege als die Nachkommen der Wirtsvögel, was sich nachteilig auf das Überleben der Wirte auswirken kann. Viele Wirte von Brutparasiten sind Langstreckenzieher, die einen beträchtlichen Teil ihrer Jahreszyklen an verschiedenen Orten der Welt verbringen und für die ein korrektes Timing bestimmter Phasen innerhalb dieser Zyklen von großer Bedeutung ist. Die Bedingungen in einer Phase des Jahreszyklus können jedoch den Zeitpunkt der folgenden Phasen durch Übertragungseffekte beeinflussen. Wir untersuchten, ob Drosselrohrsänger (Acrocephalus arundinaceus), die einen Jungkuckuck (Cuculus canorus) aufziehen, beim Abflug aus dem Brutgebiet und bei der Ankunft in ihre Winterquartiere verspätet sind, im Vergleich zu den, die sich um ihre eigenen Nestlinge kümmern. Außerdem untersuchten wir, ob die Eltern mit später in der Saison geschlüpften Nestlingen später abziehen und später in ihre Überwinterungsgebiete ankommen als die mit früher in der Saison geschlüpften Nestlingen sowie ob die Weibchen während des Wegzuges im Vergleich zu den Männchen verspätet sind. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die Eltern, die einen Kuckuck aufzogen, weder beim Abflug aus dem Brutgebiet noch bei der Ankunft in die Winterquartiere verspätet waren, im Vergleich zu den Eltern, die eigene Nestlinge aufzogen. Außerdem hatten weder das Schlupfdatum noch das Geschlecht der Eltern einen Einfluss auf den Zeitpunkt des Wegzuges. Zukünftige Studien könnten sich eher auf die Weibchen konzentrieren, die von der Fürsorge für einen Brutparasiten stärker betroffen sein könnten als die Männchen. Außerdem sollten zukünftige Untersuchungen auch das Überleben der Jungvögel nach dem Ausfliegen überwachen, da eine erhöhte Sterblichkeit der Brutparasiten- oder Wirtsjungen das Ende der Brutpflege und damit auch den Zeitpunkt des Abzuges der Wirte beeinflussen könnte.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The dataset analysed during the current study is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Code availability
Custom R code is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
Bates D, Mächler M, Bolker B, Walker S (2015) Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4. J Stat Softw 67:1–48
Bogdanova MI, Daunt F, Newell M, Phillips RA, Harris MP, Wanless S (2011) Seasonal interactions in the black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla: links between breeding performance and winter distribution. Proc R Soc B 278:2412–2418
Briedis M, Krist M, Král M, Voigt CC, Adamík P (2018) Linking events throughout the annual cycle in a migratory bird—wintering period buffers accumulation of carry-over effects. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 72:93
Briedis M, Bauer S, Adamík P, Alves JA, Costa JS, Emmenegger T, Gustafsson L, Koleček J, Liechti F, Meier CM, Procházka P, Hahn S (2019) A full annual perspective on sex-biased migration timing in long-distance migratory birds. Proc R Soc B 286:20182821
Canestrari D, Bolopo D, Turlings TCJ, Röder G, Marcos JM, Baglione V (2014) From parasitism to mutualism: unexpected interactions between a cuckoo and its host. Science 343:1350–1352
Catry P, Dias M, Phillips R, Granadeiro J (2013) Carry-over effects from breeding modulate the annual cycle of a long-distance migrant: an experimental demonstration. Ecology 94:1230–1235
Chmura HE, Krause JS, Pérez JH, Ramenofsky M, Wingfield JC (2020) Autumn migratory departure is influenced by reproductive timing and weather in an Arctic passerine. J Ornithol 161:779–791
Dawson A (2004) The effects of delaying the start of moult on the duration of moult, primary feather growth rates and feather mass in common starlings Sturnus vulgaris. Ibis 146:493–500
Emmenegger T, Hahn S, Bauer S (2014) Individual migration timing of common nightingales is tuned with vegetation and prey phenology at breeding sites. BMC Ecol 14:9
Fayet AL, Freeman R, Shoji A, Holly KL, Padget O, Perrins CM, Guilford T (2016) Carry-over effects on the annual cycle of a migratory seabird: an experimental study. J Anim Ecol 85:1516–1527
Feeney WE, Medina I, Somveille M, Heinsohn R, Hall ML, Mulder RA, Langmore NE (2013) Brood parasitism and the evolution of cooperative breeding in birds. Science 342:1506–1508
Gow EA, Burke L, Winkler DW, Knight SM, Bradley DW, Clark RG, Bélisle M, Berzins LL, Blake T, Bridge ES et al (2019) A rangewide domino effect and resetting of the annual cycle in a migratory songbird. Proc R Soc B 286:20181916
Gwinner E (2008) Circannual clocks in avian reproduction and migration. Ibis 138:47–63
Harrison XA, Blount JD, Inger R, Norris DR, Bearhop S (2011) Carry-over effects as drivers of fitness differences in animals. J Anim Ecol 80:4–18
Hauber ME (2003) Hatching asynchrony, nestling competition, and the cost of interspecific brood parasitism. Behav Ecol 14:227–235
Hauber ME (2006) A future cost of misdirected parental care for brood parasitic young? Folia Zool 55:367–374
Hauber ME, Montenegro K (2002) What are the costs of raising a brood parasite? Comparing host parental care at parasitized and non-parasitized broods. Etología 10:1–9
Hill RD (1994) Theory of geolocation by light levels. Elephant seals: population ecology, behavior, and physiology. University of California Press, Berkeley
Honza M, Vošlajerová K, Moskát C (2007) Eviction behaviour of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus chicks. J Avian Biol 38:385–389
Honza M, Šulc M, Jelínek V, Požgayová M, Procházka P (2014) Brood parasites lay eggs matching the appearance of host clutches. Proc R Soc B 281:20132665
Hoover JP (2003) Multiple effects of brood parasitism reduce the reproductive success of prothonotary warblers, Protonotaria citrea. Anim Behav 65:923–934
Hoover JP, Reetz MJ (2006) Brood parasitism increases provisioning rate, and reduces offspring recruitment and adult return rates, in a cowbird host. Oecologia 149:165–173
Imlay TL, Mann HA, Taylor PD (2021) Autumn migratory timing and pace are driven by breeding season carryover effects. Anim Behav 177:207–214
Jelínek V, Karasová T, Weidinger K, Procházka P, Honza M (2016) Do common cuckoo chicks suffer nest predation more than host nestlings? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 70:1975–1987
Koleček J, Jelínek V, Požgayová M, Trnka A, Baslerová P, Honza M, Procházka P (2015) Breeding success and brood parasitism affect return rate and dispersal distances in the great reed warbler. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 69:1845–1853
Koleček J, Procházka P, El-Arabany N, Tarka M, Ilieva M, Hahn S, Honza M, de la Puente J, Bermejo A, Gürsoy A, Bensch S, Zehtindjiev P, Hasselquist D, Hansson B (2016) Cross-continental migratory connectivity and spatiotemporal migratory patterns in the great reed warbler. J Avian Biol 47:756–767
Koleček J, Hahn S, Emmenegger T, Procházka P (2018) Intra-tropical movements as a beneficial strategy for Palearctic migratory birds. R Soc Open Sci 5:171675
Kysučan M, Samaš P, Grim T (2020) Post-fledging interactions between the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus and its cavity-nesting common redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus host. Ibis 162:90–103
Lisovski S, Hahn S (2012) GeoLight—processing and analysing light-based geolocator data in R. Methods Ecol Evol 3:1055–1059
Lisovski S, Hewson CM, Klaassen RH, Korner-Nievergelt F, Kristensen MW, Hahn S (2012) Geolocation by light: accuracy and precision affected by environmental factors. Methods Ecol Evol 3:603–612
Lorenzana JC, Sealy SG (1999) A meta-analysis of the impact of parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird on its hosts. Research and management of the brown-headed cowbird in western landscapes. Studies Avian Biol 18:241–253
Mark MM, Rubenstein DR (2013) Physiological costs and carry-over effects of avian interspecific brood parasitism influence reproductive tradeoffs. Horm Behav 63:717–722
Mitchell GW, Newman AEM, Wikelski M, Norris RD (2012) Timing of breeding carries over to influence migratory departure in a songbird: an automated radiotracking study. J Anim Ecol 81:1024–1033
Newton I (2008) The migration ecology of birds. Academic Press, New York
Nilsson JÅ, Svensson E (1996) The cost of reproduction: a new link between current reproductive effort and future reproductive success. Proc R Soc B 263:711–714
Norris DR, Marra PP (2007) Seasonal interactions, habitat quality, and population dynamics in migratory birds. Condor 109:535–547
Øien IJ, Moksnes A, Røskaft E, Honza M (1998) Costs of cuckoo Cuculus canorus parasitism to reed warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus. J Avian Biol 29:209–215
Ouwehand J, Both C (2017) African departure rather than migration speed determines variation in spring arrival in pied flycatchers. J Anim Ecol 86:88–97
Payne RB, Payne LL (1998) Brood parasitism by cowbirds: risks and effects on reproductive success and survival in indigo buntings. Behav Ecol 9:64–73
Polačiková L, Procházka P, Cherry MI, Honza M (2009) Choosing suitable hosts: common cuckoos Cuculus canorus parasitize great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus of high quality. Evol Ecol 23:879–891
Požgayová M, Beňo R, Procházka P, Jelínek V, Abraham M, Honza M (2015) Lazy males and hardworking females? Sexual conflict over parental care in a brood parasite host and its consequences for chick growth. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 69:1053–1061
R Core Team (2016) R: a language and environment for statistical computing
Ramos R, Llabrés V, Monclús L, López-Béjar M, González-Solís R (2018) Costs of breeding are rapidly bufered and do not affect migratory behavior in a long-lived bird species. Ecology 99:2010–2024
Rutila J, Latja R, Koskela K (2002) The common cuckoo Cuculus canorus and its cavity nesting host, the redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus: a peculiar cuckoo-host system? J Avian Biol 33:414–419
Saino N, Ambrosini R, Caprioli M, Romano A, Romano M, Rubolini D, Scandolara C, Liechti F (2017) Sex-dependent carry-over effects on timing of reproduction and fecundity of a migratory bird. J Anim Ecol 86:239–249
Samaš P, Rutila J, Honza M, Kysučan M, Grim T (2018) Rearing a virulent common cuckoo is not extra costly for its only cavity-nesting host. Proc R Soc B 285:20181710
Samaš P, Grim T, Jelínek V, Abraham MM, Šulc M, Honza M (2019) No immediate or future extra costs of raising a virulent brood parasite chick. Behav Ecol 30:1020–1029
Soler JJ, Soler M, Møller AP, Martínez JG (1995) Does the great spotted cuckoo choose magpie hosts according to their parenting ability? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 36:201–206
Stutchbury BJM, Gow EA, Done T, MacPherson M, Fox JW, Afanasyev V (2011) Effects of post-breeding moult and energetic condition on timing of songbird migration into the tropics. Proc R Soc B 278:131–137
Trnka A, Grim T (2013) To compensate or not to compensate: testing the negotiation model in the context of nest defense. Behav Ecol 24:223–228
van Wijk RE, Schaub M, Bauer S (2017) Dependencies in the timing of activities weaken over the annual cycle in a long-distance migratory bird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 71:73
Wyllie I (1981) The cuckoo. Batsford, London
Acknowledgements
We thank V. Brlík, M. Čapek, V. Jelínek, B. Prudík, K. Sosnovcová, P. Steidlová, G. Štětková, and M. Šulc for invaluable help in the field, and the management of the Hodonín Fish Farm for consent to work in a private area. Steffen Hahn kindly provided PAM loggers and commented on a previous version of the manuscript. The comments of two anonymous referees significantly improved the quality of the paper.
Funding
Funding was provided by the Czech Science Foundation (grant no. 20-00648S). JK was also supported by the Charles University Research Centre program No. 204069.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
PP and MH provided funding; PP supervised the research; PP, MP, and JK conducted the fieldwork; JK analysed the light-level data; MP performed statistical analyses and wrote the paper; all co-authors read and commented the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
Authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.
Ethics approval
The fieldwork complied with the current laws and ethical guidelines of the Czech Republic (permit numbers JMK23530/2011 and JMK48964/2017; licence number CZ01284).
Additional information
Communicated by S. Bouwhuis.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Požgayová, M., Koleček, J., Honza, M. et al. Is there an effect of fostering a brood parasite on the timing of host autumn migration?. J Ornithol 163, 417–423 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-021-01949-y
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-021-01949-y