The role of blunt egg pole characteristics for recognition of eggs in the song thrush (Turdus philomelos)

0340433 - ÚBO 2011 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Polačiková, Lenka - Stokke, B. G. - Procházka, Petr - Honza, Marcel - Moksnes, A. - Roskaft, E.
The role of blunt egg pole characteristics for recognition of eggs in the song thrush (Turdus philomelos).
Behaviour. Roč. 147, č. 4 (2010), s. 465-478. ISSN 0005-7959. E-ISSN 1568-539X
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GD524/05/H536; GA MŠMT LC06073
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519
Keywords : brood parasitism * egg discrimination * eggshell characteristics * recognition cues * rejection behaviour
Subject RIV: EG - Zoology
Impact factor: 1.480, year: 2010

Colour and speckling of avian eggshells play important roles in egg recognition behaviour. However, only a few studies have paid attention to whether specific parts of eggs may be more important than others in rejection decisions by hosts. We hypothesised that the blunt pole in song thrush eggs possesses important cues for recognition of own eggs because this is the most visible part of the egg in the nest. We examined host response towards conspecific eggs painted blue either at the blunt or sharp poles, and used unpainted conspecific eggs as a control. We found, as predicted, that the experimental eggs painted blue at the blunt poles were rejected significantly more often than the experimental eggs unpainted at this pole. Rejection rates of experimental eggs were higher with increasing differences in number of spots between the two poles of own eggs. Our results confirmed that the essential cues used for egg discrimination in song thrushes are found at the blunt egg pole.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0183666