Peter an ambassador for twitching was staying in the Hotel this week. We got talking about Cuckoo’s as I have heard and seen a number in recent years, I was wondering why they were not as successful as other birds. In that the adult Cuckoo lays its eggs in other birds nests, then the Cuckoo chick hatches earlier than the other eggs, then gets the unknowing foster parents to feed it; as it gorges itself beyond tasteful capacity. Later having deceived the unsuspecting adult birds the Cuckoo proceeds to push the parents of the rightful offspring around in the nest ultimately ending in the pushing of the rightful offspring out of the nest.
How come this emote behaviour is not rewarded more, surely we should be seeing Cuckoos everywhere in the environment?
Peter (hopefully the Cuckoo expert) and ambassador for twitching staying in the Hotel said that though this tactic should be successful, not all the un-suspecting foster parents fall for this subterfuge. Some parents respond as follows;
Some abandon the nest after the new egg appears,
Some abandon the Cuckoo chick possibly recognising as not it’s own (do the recognise the subterfuge?) and abandon the nest
Some Cuckoo chicks make such big demands on the un-suspecting foster parents, such that they can not keep up with the Cuckoo chicks ravenous appetite for more and more attention and food.
Well I am no bird expert but Peter is an expert Cuckoo man, Thanks for that insight into animal behaviour, question answered, thanks Peter!
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