Avian brood parasitism is a fascinating reproductive strategy wherein parasitic birds, such as the common cuckoo, lay their eggs in the nests of other avian species. This deceptive tactic forces ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Parenting can be lots of work for a bird: all that flying back and forth transporting grubs and insects to a nest of demanding ...

One of the most interesting topics discussed in my Ornithology class was about the “con artists” found in nature… Brood parasitism occurs when a female bird (the parasite) lays her eggs in the nest of ...

Brood parasitism among females of the same species is common in certain fishes, insects, and birds, including coots. Host parents bear a high reproductive cost when raising chicks that are not their ...

Every spring I get reports from astonished readers describing a small bird feeding a much larger, obviously begging chick. Can you explain this, readers ask. The answer is “brood parasitism.” ...

An adult coot can recognize its own chicks and will attack a parasitic chick that hatches in its nest. Photo by B. Lyon. The American coot is a drab, seemingly unremarkable marsh bird common ...