Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats

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Author :
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 140813666X
Total Pages : 331 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (81 download)

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Book Synopsis Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats by : Nicholas B. Davies

Download or read book Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats written by Nicholas B. Davies and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2011-01-31 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this fascinating new book, Nick Davies describes the natural histories of these brood parasites and examines many of the exciting questions they raise about the evolution of cheating and the arms race between parasites and their prey. Brood parasites fill their armory with adaptations including exquisite egg mimicry, rapid laying, ejection of host eggs, murder of host young, chick mimicry and manipulative begging behavior: ploys shown by recent research to have evolved in response to host defense behavior or through competition among the parasites themselves. While many host species appear defenseless, accepting parasite eggs quite unlike their own, many are more discriminating against odd-looking eggs and some have evolved the ability to discriminate against odd-looking chicks as well. How is this arms race conducted? Will defenseless hosts develop defenses in time, or are there constraints which limit the evolution and perfection of host defenses? And why are so few species obliged only to lay eggs in host nests? Have host defenses limited the success of brood parasitism, or is it in fact much more common than we suspect, but occurring mainly when birds parasitize the nest of their own kind? All of these puzzles are examined in descriptions of the natural history of each of the groups of parasites in turn.Here is a book with wide appeal, both to amateur naturalists fascinated by this most singular and macabre of behaviors and by ornithologists and ecologists interested in the evolution of ecology and behavior. The story takes us from the classic field work earlier this century by pioneer ornithologists such as Edgar Chance, Stuart Baker, Herbert Friedmann and others, through to the recent experimental field work and molecular techniques of today's leading scientists. We visit brood parasites in Europe, Asia, Japan, Africa, Australasia, and North and South America, to look at some of the worlds most interesting birds and some of biology's most interesting questions, many of which still beg answers from ornithologists in the future.Brilliant illustrations by David Quinn illuminate the species discussed, showing many behaviors never before illustrated and conveying the thrill of watching these astonishing birds in the wild.

Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats

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Author :
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1408135868
Total Pages : 331 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (81 download)

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Book Synopsis Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats by : Nick Davies

Download or read book Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats written by Nick Davies and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2010-09-30 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fascinating study describes the natural histories of these brood parasites and examines many of the exciting questions they raise about the evolution of cheating and the arms race between parasites and their prey. Brood parasites fill their armoury with adaptations including exquisite egg mimicry, rapid laying, ejection of host eggs, murder of host young, chick mimicry and manipulative begging behaviour: ploys shown by recent research to have evolved in response to host defence behaviour or through competition among the parasites themselves. While many host species appear defenceless, accepting parasite eggs quite unlike their own, many are more discriminating against odd-looking eggs and some have evolved the ability to discriminate against odd-looking chicks as well. How is this arms race conducted? Will defenceless hosts develop defences in time, or are there constraints which limit the evolution and perfection of host defences? And why are so few species obliged only to lay eggs in host nests? Have host defences limited the success of brood parasitism, or is it in fact much more common than we suspect, but occurring mainly when birds parasitize the nest of their own kind? All of these puzzles are examined in descriptions of the natural history of each of the groups of parasites in turn. Here is a book with wide appeal, both to amateur naturalists fascinated by this most singular and macabre of behaviours and by ornithologists and ecologists interested in the evolution of ecology and behaviour. The story takes us from the classic field work by pioneer ornithologists such as Edgar Chance, Stuart Baker, Herbert Friedmann and others, through to the experimental field work and molecular techniques of today's leading scientists. We visit brood parasites in Europe, Asia, Japan, Africa, Australasia, and North and South America, to look at some of the world's most interesting birds and some of biology's most interesting questions, many of which still beg answers from ornithologists in the future. Brilliant illustrations by David Quinn illuminate the species discussed, showing many behaviours never before illustrated and conveying the thrill of watching these astonishing birds in the wild.

Cuckoo

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 1620409534
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (24 download)

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Book Synopsis Cuckoo by : Nick Davies

Download or read book Cuckoo written by Nick Davies and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gifted biologist's careful and beguiling study of why cuckoos have got away with tricking other birds into hatching and raising their young for thousands of years. The familiar call of the common cuckoo, "cuck-oo,†? has been a harbinger of spring ever since our ancestors walked out of Africa many thousands of years ago. However, for naturalist and scientist Nick Davies, the call is an invitation to solve an enduring puzzle: how does the cuckoo get away with laying its eggs in the nests of other birds and tricking them into raising young cuckoos rather than their own offspring? Early observers who noticed a little warbler feeding a monstrously large cuckoo chick concluded the cuckoo's lack of parental care was the result of faulty design by the Creator, and that the hosts chose to help the poor cuckoo. These quaint views of bad design and benevolence were banished after Charles Darwin proposed that the cuckoo tricks the hosts in an evolutionary battle, where hosts evolve better defenses against cuckoos and cuckoos, in turn, evolve better trickery to outwit the hosts. For the last three decades, Davies has employed observation and field experiments to unravel the details of this evolutionary "arms race†? between cuckoos and their hosts. Like a detective, Davies and his colleagues studied adult cuckoo behavior, cuckoo egg markings, and cuckoo chick begging calls to discover exactly how cuckoos trick their hosts. For birding and evolution aficionados, The Cuckoo is a lyrical and scientifically satisfying exploration of one of nature's most astonishing and beautiful adaptations.

Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats

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Author :
Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 9780122060601
Total Pages : 333 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (66 download)

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Book Synopsis Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats by : Nick Davies

Download or read book Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats written by Nick Davies and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2000-04-01 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nick Davies describes the natural histories of all the brood parasites and examines the questions they raise about the evolution of cheating and the arms race between parasites and their hosts.

Cuckoo

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1408856565
Total Pages : 321 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (88 download)

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Book Synopsis Cuckoo by : Nick Davies

Download or read book Cuckoo written by Nick Davies and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-01-01 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beloved as the herald of spring, cuckoos have held a place in our affections for centuries. The oldest song in English celebrates the cuckoo's arrival, telling us that 'Sumer is icumen in'. But for many other birds the cuckoo is a signal of doom, for it is Nature's most notorious cheat. Cuckoos across the world have evolved extraordinary tricks to manipulate other species into raising their young. How do they get away with it?In this enormously engaging book, naturalist and scientist Nick Davies reveals how cuckoos trick their hosts. Using shrewd detective skills and field experiments, he uncovers an evolutionary arms race, in which hosts evolve better defences against cuckoos and cuckoos, in turn, evolve novel forms of trickery. This is a fascinating corner of Darwin's 'entangled bank', where creatures are continually evolving to keep up with changes in their rivals.Lively field drawings by James McCallum, and remarkable photographs, show cuckoos in action: from the female cuckoo laying her beautifully disguised egg, to the cuckoo chick ejecting the host's eggs and young from the nest to ensure it gets the full attention of its foster parents.Cuckoo offers a new insight not only into the secret lives of these extraordinary birds, but also into how cheating evolves and thrives in the natural world.

Cheats and Deceits

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Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0191017604
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Cheats and Deceits by : Martin Stevens

Download or read book Cheats and Deceits written by Martin Stevens and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-02-04 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In nature, trickery and deception are widespread. Animals and plants mimic other objects or species in the environment for protection, trick other species into rearing their young, lure prey to their death, and deceive potential mates for reproduction. Cuckoos lay eggs carefully matched to their host's own clutch. Harmless butterflies mimic the wing patterning of a poisonous butterfly to avoid being eaten. The deep-sea angler fish hangs a glowing, fleshy lure in front of its mouth to draw the attention of potential prey, while some male fish alter their appearance to look like females in order to sneak past rivals in mating. Some orchids develop the smell of female insects in order to attract pollinators, while carnivorous plants lure insects to their death with colourful displays. In this book, Martin Stevens describes the remarkable range of such adaptations in nature, and considers how they have evolved, and become increasingly perfected as part of an arms race between predator and prey or host and parasite. He explores the work of naturalists and biologists from Alfred Russel Wallace to current research, showing how scientists find ways of testing the impact of particular behaviours and colourings on the animals it is meant to fool, as opposed to our human perceptions. Drawing on a wide range of examples, Stevens considers what deception tells us about the process of evolution and adaptation.

Birds in the Ancient World from A to Z

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 113455625X
Total Pages : 373 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (345 download)

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Book Synopsis Birds in the Ancient World from A to Z by : W. Geoffrey Arnott

Download or read book Birds in the Ancient World from A to Z written by W. Geoffrey Arnott and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2007-09-12 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Birds in the Ancient World from A to Z gathers together the ancient information available, listing all the names that ancient Greeks gave their birds and all their descriptions and analyses. W. Geoffrey Arnott identifies as many of them as possible in the light of modern ornithological studies. The ancient Greek bird names are transliterated into English script, and all that the ancients said about birds is presented in English. This book is accordingly the first complete discussion of ancient bird names that will be accessible to readers without ancient Greek. The only large-scale examination of ancient birds for seventy years, the book has an exhaustive bibliography (partly classical scholarship and partly ornithological) to encourage further study, and provides students and ornithologists with the definitive study of ancient birds.

Behavioral Ecology of Tropical Animals

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Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 9780123808950
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (89 download)

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Book Synopsis Behavioral Ecology of Tropical Animals by : Regina H. Macedo

Download or read book Behavioral Ecology of Tropical Animals written by Regina H. Macedo and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2010-11-15 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Advances in the Study of Behavior was initiated over 40 years ago to serve the increasing number of scientists engaged in the study of animal behavior. That number is still expanding. This thematic volume makes another important "contribution to the development of the field" by bringing together material that aggregates studies conducted on the behavior of tropical animals. Advances in the Study of Behavior is now available online at ScienceDirect--full-text online from volume 30 onward.

Avian Brood Parasitism

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319731386
Total Pages : 574 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (197 download)

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Book Synopsis Avian Brood Parasitism by : Manuel Soler

Download or read book Avian Brood Parasitism written by Manuel Soler and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-05-02 with total page 574 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brood parasitism has become one of the most flourishing areas of research in evolutionary ecology and one of the best model systems for investigating coevolution. This subject has undergone remarkable advances during the last two decades, but has not been covered by any book in the 21st century. This book offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the fascinating field of avian brood parasitism. The topics covered include conspecific brood parasitism; evolution and phylogenetic history of avian brood parasites; parasitic behaviour used by brood parasites; adaptations and counter-adaptations of brood parasites and their hosts at every stage of the breeding cycle (before laying, egg, chick and fledgling stages); factors affecting the evolution of host defences and parasitic attacks; the role of phenotypic plasticity in host defences; mechanisms driving egg recognition and rejection; evolution of nest sharing or nest killing by brood parasite chicks; begging behaviour in parasitized nests and food delivery by host adults; and recognition of conspecifics by juvenile brood parasites. This volume provides a comprehensive reference resource for readers and researchers with an interest in birds, behaviour and evolution, as well as a source of hypotheses and predictions for future investigations into this dynamic subject.

Cuckoo

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Author :
Publisher : Reaktion Books
ISBN 13 : 1789149681
Total Pages : 188 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (891 download)

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Book Synopsis Cuckoo by : Cynthia Chris

Download or read book Cuckoo written by Cynthia Chris and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2024-09-12 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An entertaining and wide-ranging romp through the cultural history of a peculiar bird. The cuckoo is peculiar for inspiring such divergent ideas: a symbol of foolishness to both Aristophanes and Cocoa Puffs, a reliable harbinger of spring and the hours of a cuckoo clock, and the source of innumerable innuendos inspired by a habit of laying eggs in others’ nests. In this short, entertaining book, Cynthia Chris explores both the natural and cultural history of the cuckoo as well as the many stories told throughout the centuries about this fascinating bird.

The Evolution of Parental Care

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Author :
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191637416
Total Pages : 376 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (916 download)

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Book Synopsis The Evolution of Parental Care by : Mathias Kölliker

Download or read book The Evolution of Parental Care written by Mathias Kölliker and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2012-08-09 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Parental care includes a wide variety of traits that enhance offspring development and survival. It is taxonomically widespread and is central to the maintenance of biodiversity through its close association with other phenomena such as sexual selection, life-history evolution, sex allocation, sociality, cooperation and conflict, growth and development, genetic architecture, and phenotypic plasticity. This novel book provides a fresh perspective on the study of the evolution of parental care based on contributions from some of the top researchers in the field. It provides evidence that the dynamic nature of family interactions, and particularly the potential for co-evolution among family members, has contributed to the great diversity of forms of parental care and life-histories across as well as within taxa. The Evolution of Parental Care aims to stimulate students and researchers alike to pursue exciting new directions in this fascinating and important area of behavioural and evolutionary biology. It will be of relevance and use to those working in the fields of animal behaviour, ecology, evolution, and genetics, as well as related disciplines such as psychology and sociology.

Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior

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Author :
Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0128132523
Total Pages : 3052 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (281 download)

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Book Synopsis Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior by :

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2019-01-21 with total page 3052 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, Second Edition, Four Volume Set the latest update since the 2010 release, builds upon the solid foundation established in the first edition. Updated sections include Host-parasite interactions, Vertebrate social behavior, and the introduction of ‘overview essays’ that boost the book's comprehensive detail. The structure for the work is modified to accommodate a better grouping of subjects. Some chapters have been reshuffled, with section headings combined or modified. Represents a one-stop resource for scientifically reliable information on animal behavior Provides comparative approaches, including the perspective of evolutionary biologists, physiologists, endocrinologists, neuroscientists and psychologists Includes multimedia features in the online version that offer accessible tools to readers looking to deepen their understanding

Invasive Birds

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Author :
Publisher : CABI
ISBN 13 : 1789242061
Total Pages : 399 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (892 download)

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Book Synopsis Invasive Birds by : Colleen T. Downs

Download or read book Invasive Birds written by Colleen T. Downs and published by CABI. This book was released on 2020-12-07 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examining globally invasive alien birds, the first part of this book provides an account of 32 global avian invasive species (as listed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group, ISSG). It acts as a one stop reference volume; it assesses current invasive status for each bird species, including details of physical description, diet, introduction and invasion pathways, breeding behaviour, natural habitat. It also looks at the environmental impact of each species, as well as current and future control methods. Full colour photographs assist with species identification and global distribution maps give a visual representation of the current known distributions of these species. The second part of the book discusses the biogeographical aspects of avian invasions, highlighting current and emerging invasive species across different regions of the world. The third section considers the impact of invasive species on native communities, problems associated with invasive bird management and the use of citizen science in the study of invasive birds.

Predator–Prey Interactions: Co-evolution between Bats and Their Prey

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319324926
Total Pages : 135 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (193 download)

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Book Synopsis Predator–Prey Interactions: Co-evolution between Bats and Their Prey by : David Steve Jacobs

Download or read book Predator–Prey Interactions: Co-evolution between Bats and Their Prey written by David Steve Jacobs and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-02-08 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a comprehensive review of the evolution of traits associated with predation and predator defense for bats and all of their prey, both invertebrates (e.g. insects) and vertebrates (e.g. frogs), in the context of co-evolution. It reviews current knowledge of how echolocation and passive hearing are used by bats to hunt prey in complete darkness. Also it highlights how prey have evolved counter measures to bat echolocation to avoid detection and capture. This includes the whole range of prey responses from being active at times when bats are inactive to the use of acoustic signals of their own to interfere with the echolocation system of bats.

Blue-Footed Boobies

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Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0197629849
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (976 download)

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Book Synopsis Blue-Footed Boobies by : Hugh Drummond

Download or read book Blue-Footed Boobies written by Hugh Drummond and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2023 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Aggressive competition between sibling chicks differs between blue-footed and brown boobies. In a brood of two blue-foot chicks, the senior one (four days older) maintains dominance over the three-month nestling period by daily low-level attacking, ensuring privileged growth and survival for itself by limiting junior's begging and feeding. Both blue-foot siblings often survive and fledge, but when parents provide insufficient food, senior increases its aggression and junior starves to death or gets killed by adult neighbors while seeking adoption in their nests. In contrast, brown booby parents bring less food to their broods and their senior chicks are unconditionally intolerant and violent; they attack their sibling at every opportunity and toss it out of the nest, to certain death. The behavioral roles of booby family members - including conditional sharing, siblicide, and parental passivity - are explained by Hamilton's theory of inclusive fitness and kin selection, which also applies to humans"--

Evolution and Function of Acoustic and Visual Signals in Avian Brood Parasitism

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Author :
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
ISBN 13 : 2889764729
Total Pages : 195 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (897 download)

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Book Synopsis Evolution and Function of Acoustic and Visual Signals in Avian Brood Parasitism by : Canchao Yang

Download or read book Evolution and Function of Acoustic and Visual Signals in Avian Brood Parasitism written by Canchao Yang and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-07-01 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Evolution of Begging

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Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 0306476606
Total Pages : 508 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (64 download)

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Book Synopsis The Evolution of Begging by : J. Wright

Download or read book The Evolution of Begging written by J. Wright and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-05-08 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Begging by nestling birds has become the model system for investigating evolutionary conflicts of interest within families and their theoretical resolution provided by honest signals of offspring need. In response to the recent explosions of scientific papers on the revolution of begging; we have brought together twenty-four original contributions from major researchers in all areas of this dynamic field. Organised into six sections: I: Theoretical approaches; II: Begging as a signal; III: Nestling physiology; IV: Sibling competition; V: Brood parasitism; and VI: Statistical approaches; this book is primarily aimed at research scientists and those at the graduate student level. For the first time, the theoretical and empirical literature on begging is fully reviewed. New ideas and data are also presented from a wide range of natural systems, and each chapter ends with suggestions for future study.