Cuckoos on left, respective host on right (photo N. Langmore)
Australian cuckoo birds have taken a new evolutionary step - mimicking the colour of their host young to avoid certain death, according to a study by researchers from The Australian National University. Researchers from the ANU College of Medicine, Biology and Environment focused on three species of the Australian bronze-cuckoo. Their study found that these birds have evolved so that they no longer simply lay eggs that mimic their hosts, but they also match the colour of their young to avoid eviction from the nest. Cuckoos are known for their parasitic ways. They lay their eggs in the nests of other species, leaving their young to fend for themselves. Once hatched, cuckoo nestlings evict all host offspring from the nest to ensure the maximum chance of survival. Dr Naomi Langmore from the Research School of Biology, who led the research team, said that the host birds are unable to identify the cuckoos? eggs from their own, so their primary line of resistance is to kill the cuckoos once hatched.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
