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Many bird species lovingly care for their eggs and do their best to protect them. Females can sit in the nest for weeks while males protect eggs and search for food. However, several notorious bird species take a different approach. Instead of carrying their own eggs, these birds rely on other birds to hatch and raise their chicks. Known as brood parasites, these birds, which lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, use a number of devious techniques. Some will rely on trickery to get other birds to raise their young. Meanwhile, like the Old World mafiosi, some birds force other species to take care of their eggs. In fact, some go so far as to bring other birds closer together and can destroy the host bird’s eggs. This behavior is rare but well documented and deserves further study. Here is a list of 5 birds laying eggs in other birds’ nests.
# 5: Brown cow bird
Brown cow bird (Hammerrus ather) is a small parasitic bird native to North America. It is a member of the Icterid family of New World blackbirds and belongs to the genus Hammerrus… While the genus includes five other species, the bumpy bovine is the type species for this genus. In ancient Greek, the genus name translates as “battle for fertilization,” which certainly fits. Brown cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other small birds such as American robins, hummingbirds, and some birds of prey. While most brood parasites target one or more species, brown-headed bovine birds take a more general approach. According to field studies, they target nests of up to 220 host species. This makes them one of the most prolific parasitic species known throughout the world.
When the host bird is away from its nest, a female brown-headed cow bird sneaks in to lay eggs. If the host bird rejects the eggs of the cow bird, the female brown-headed cow bird may destroy the host’s eggs in revenge. Those owners who do not notice the egg of a cow bird will involuntarily hatch and feed the offspring of a cow bird. Because the offspring of bovine birds incubates quickly, they often hatch earlier than the host’s eggs. They also grow quite quickly, which gives them an advantage over host eggs in providing food. This can often lead to the host’s chicks starving to death. However, some species, such as the brown thrasher, the gray feline and the American yellow songbird, almost always reject eggs or exorcise hatched cow birds. Surviving brown-headed chicks of bovine birds grow up and recognize the calls of other bovine birds. This allows them to return to flocks of cow birds as soon as they can leave the host’s nest.
# 4: indigo bird
Native to Africa, Indigobeeds belong to the Viduidae songbird family. In addition to the indigobed, the Viduidae family includes other brood parasites as well as finches and cuckoos. Indigopters usually look like finches, and their plumage is usually black or indigo. To distinguish indigo-dicks from gentlemen, just look at their tails. While males grow long tail feathers, males do not have indigobed. Indigoptresses lay their eggs in the nests of Old World finches. In particular, indigopbirds, as a rule, hunt Estrild finches as hosts. In general, Indigopts use fire finches as hosts, while finches prefer to target Pitilla.
Unlike some parasitic birds, indigoptans and wades are not habitats for destroying their host’s eggs. Instead, females simply mix their eggs with those of the host. Females usually lay 2-4 eggs at a time. Since the eggs of indigo-finches, finches and estrild finches are white, host birds can rarely distinguish whose eggs belong to whom. In fact, the eggs of Indigobirds and Jaidis are slightly larger, but the difference is negligible. Chicks learn to mimic and recognize the vocalizations of the host species. As adults, male pups use this information to express their interest in potential females and therefore continue the cycle of mating and parasitism.
# 3: honey guide
Honey guides live in southern Africa, in the foothills of the Himalayas and in Malaysia. Honey guides, also known as indicator birds or honey birds, get their name from their unusual behavior. These tiny dull birds purposefully lead people to the hives so they can find their favorite food – beeswax and maggots. So far, of the 17 types of honey guides, only the larger honey guides exhibit this behavior. On the other hand, evidence suggests that half of all honey extractors are brood parasites. They specifically target birds such as white-eyed birds, songbirds, swallows, bee-eaters, barbets and starlings.
In these 8 species, the female honey conductor lays one egg in several nests. Thus, she distributes the risk among several hosts and ensures the survival of more of her eggs. Sometimes, female honey plants kill the host’s eggs before laying their own. However, females take time to incubate their eggs before laying them in the host’s nest. They do this in order for their offspring to hatch before the host’s eggs. The larger honeyguide chick will then either destroy the host’s eggs or kill the host’s hatched cubs after they are born. It accomplishes this task by using a sharp hook on its beak to pierce the host’s young.
# 2: black-headed duck
The black-headed duck is native to the swamps and lakes of Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil. It belongs to the Anatidae family, but is still considered the only member of its kind, Heteronette… Unlike the closely related hard-tailed duck, black-headed ducks have a soft tail and a flat beak. The species got its name from the male, which has black feathers on its head and mantle. While relatively small and inconspicuous, female black-headed ducks possess a large number of intestines. Instead of building a nest, they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests. They target deer, coots and ducks, although they occasionally also nest gulls and some birds of prey.
Unlike some brood parasites, female black-headed ducks do not use aggressive tactics against their hosts. Instead, they simply allow their eggs to incubate peacefully with the host’s eggs. In addition, the offspring of the black-headed duck does not hunt the owner’s chicks. By the time they hatch, young black-headed ducks can mostly take care of themselves. Since they leave the host’s nest shortly after hatching, there is no need to kill the host’s offspring to increase their chances of survival.
# 1: common cuckoo
The common cuckoo is one of the most well-known and studied bird species that parasitize the brood. It belongs to the cuckoo family, which includes roadrunners, kukals, koels, kua, malkohi and aniseed. Cuckoos are common throughout Asia and Europe and migrate to sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia for the winter. Their name comes from the characteristic onomatopoeic screams emitted by men. Males usually appear completely gray, while females may appear gray with pink highlights or reddish brown. Common cuckoos, with their hawk-like appearance, rely on mimicry to help them target nests of host birds. By posing as a predator such as the European sparrowhawk, females can access the host’s nest to lay their eggs. Using this tactic, they invade the nests of over 100 different host species, including songbirds, redstarts, skates, robins, and males.
During the breeding season, a female cuckoo can lay eggs in dozens of different nests. Sometimes the common female cuckoo targets specific hosts whose eggs appear to resemble her own. This increases the likelihood that the host bird will not abandon the cuckoo eggs and leave the nest. As soon as the hatched offspring of the cuckoo hatch, they usually push the host’s eggs out of the nest. Likewise, if the host’s eggs hatch first, the cuckoo chicks similarly push the host’s cubs out of the nest. By eliminating competition, the cuckoo provides a monopoly on all the food it needs to grow.
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