Does nest sanitation elicit egg rejection in an open-cup nesting cuckoo host rejecter?

Tongping Su; Chanchao Yang; Shuihua Chen; Wei Liang

doi:10.1186/s40657-018-0119-4

Volume 9 Issue 1

Nov. 2019

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Abstract

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Avian Research > 2018 > 9(1): 27. > DOI: 10.1186/s40657-018-0119-4

Tongping Su, Chanchao Yang, Shuihua Chen, Wei Liang. 2018: Does nest sanitation elicit egg rejection in an open-cup nesting cuckoo host rejecter?. Avian Research, 9(1): 27. DOI: 10.1186/s40657-018-0119-4

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Does nest sanitation elicit egg rejection in an open-cup nesting cuckoo host rejecter?

Tongping Su^{1, 2,},
Chanchao Yang^2,,
Shuihua Chen^1, ,,
Wei Liang^2, , ,

1.
Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, Hangzhou 310014, China
2.
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China

Funds:

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 31672303

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 31472013

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 31772453

More Information

Corresponding author:
Shuihua Chen, chensh@zmnh.com

Wei Liang, liangwei@hainnu.edu.cn
Received Date: 20 Jul 2018
Accepted Date: 07 Aug 2018
Available Online: 24 Apr 2022
Publish Date: 20 Aug 2018

Graphical Abstract

Abstract

Abstract

Background
Nest sanitation behavior is one of the most important means to ensure high reproductive efficiency. In avian brood parasitism, nest sanitation behavior may be a pre-adaptation of host birds that allows them to identify the parasitic eggs, so that egg discrimination behavior may have evolved from nest sanitation behavior. However, whether nest sanitation behavior could improve egg rejection in cuckoo hosts was inconclusive.
Methods
In this study, we investigated the relationship between nest sanitation and egg discrimination behavior in a potential cuckoo host, the Brown-breasted Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthorrhous) with two experimental groups. In the first group, we added a blue, non-mimetic egg to the nest of the host, while in the second group we added a blue, non-mimetic egg and a peanut half-shell.
Results
The results showed that in the first group, the probability of rejecting the non-mimetic eggs was 53.8% (n = 26 nests). In comparison, all of the Brown-breasted Bulbuls in the second group were able to rapidly remove the peanut shells from the nest, but only 52.6% (n = 19 nests) rejected the non-mimetic eggs. The rejection rates of the non-mimetic eggs in both experimental groups were not significantly different.
Conclusions
Our study indicated that nest sanitation behavior of Brown-breasted Bulbuls did not influence their egg recognition and that egg discrimination ability of Brown-breasted Bulbuls was not directly related to nest sanitation behavior.
- Brood parasitism,
- Brown-breasted Bulbul,
- Egg discrimination,
- Nest sanitation behavior,
- Cuckoo host

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Correction to: Avian Res (2018) 9:31

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-018-0123-8

Unfortunately, the original article (Fuchs and Zuccon 2018) contained some errors. The Tables 1, 2 and Additional file 1: Table S2 were displayed incorrectly. The correct tables can be found below.

Table 1. Details of the six specimens of Orthotomus rufceps from southern Vietnam (original label mention is Cochinchina) collected by Louis Rodolphe Germain and representing, to our knowledge, the only specimens deposited in natural history museums

Collector	Catalog number	Sex	Collection Date	Locality	Country
Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1866-573	Female	28 February 1864	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-738	Male		'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-739	Female	21 April 1865	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-740	Female		'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-742	Male	29 February 1864	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
Germain L.R.	SMF 78404	Male		'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
The specimen in Senckenberg was previously cataloged at MNHN with the number MNHN ZO 1882-741; this specimen was not sequenced

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Table 2. Details of the nine specimens of Orthotomus sequenced as part of this study

Species	Collector	Catalog number	Collection date	Locality	Country
ruficeps	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1866-573	28 February 1864	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
ruficeps	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-738		'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
ruficeps	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-739	21 April 1865	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
ruficeps	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-740		'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
ruficeps	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-742	29 February 1864	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
atrogularis	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-728	13 April 1867	'Saigon, Cochinchina'	Vietnam
atrogularis	J. Delacour/P. Jabouille	MNHN ZO 1929-1463	27 February 1928	Phu-Qui	Vietnam
atrogularis	J. Delacour/P. Jabouille	MNHN ZO 1939-913	25 January 1930	Hoi-Xuan	Vietnam
atrogularis	J. Roche/J. Thiney	MNHN ZO 1989-120	17 December 1986	Trang	Thailand

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Additional file

Additional file 1: Table S2. Measurement details for the specimens included in the biometric analyses.

The original article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-018-0123-8.

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