The Avian Brood Parasites: Deception at the Nest - Hardcover

Johnsgard, Paul A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195110420 ISBN 13: 9780195110425

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1997

Synopsis

The evolutionary, ecological and behavioral questions posed by obligate brood parasites are among the most intriguing of all contemporary ornithological topics. Avian brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and may be a major contributing factor driving several species of songbirds to near extinction. As one of the first books to present a comprehensive overview of this fascinating phenomenon, this work discusses the comparative biology and co-evolutionary adaptations exhibited by the five families of birds that engage in such behavior. Several chapters dealing with the comparative biology of both intraspecific and interspecific brood parasites, are followed by individual accounts of all known species--nearly 100 altogether, primarily cowbirds and cuckoos. Some of the more remarkable behavioral and structural adaptations of these birds include egg mimicry, juvenile mimicry, elimination by starvation or actual attack of other nestlings or host eggs, and even the learning and partial mimicry of host song traits. An extended glossary, a list of Latin names, 400 literature citations and range maps of all parasitic species discussed are also included. Detailed line drawings by the author enhance this synthesis of biological and ecological information.

About this title

About the Author:

Paul A. Johnsgard is at University of Nebraska.

Review:

"Excellent pen-and-ink drawings showing a vast array of behavior patterns...An excellent book."--Wildlife Activist

"A comprehensive, modern review."--Choice

"Johnsgard has compiled the widely scattered literature on avian brood parasitism ... into one English language reference; the only one of its kind currently available and up-to-date.... a valuable summary."--Bird Watcher's Digest

"Given the distinctive nature and fascinating evolutionary aspects of avian brood parasitism, it is surprising that a comprehensive book on this topic has not been produced before this one . . . a requisite starting point for future researchers undertaking studies of the lesser known species. Indeed, I found the coverage of the English language literature is to be quite thorough at least to the early 1990s, and this alone is probably worth the price of the book for many users."--Ecology

"Many birds dodge the burden of parenting by laying their eggs in the nests of others . . . Paul Johnsgard, well-known among ornithologists . . . , has now tackled the avian brood parasites. . . . The majority of the space is devoted to individual accounts of the 95 known or suspected obligate brood parasites (those species who never rear their own offspring), with descriptions of habitat, distribution, identification, hosts, population dynamics and various aspects of breeding biology. The book makes it clear that, although certain brood parasites are well studied, scant information is available for the majority. And even in the best known cuckoos and cowbirds, the information on basic demography . . . is slim. Avian Brood Parasites highlights such information gaps, and will help lay an empirical foundation for the comparative biology of brood parasitism. Ornithologists and evolutionary biologists will undoubtedly find this a useful volume."--The Quarterly Review of Biology

"[A] valuable springboard back to original studies"--Birding

"Examines obligate interspecific as well as intraspecific avian brood parasites. Early chapters cover major evolutionary and comparative aspects of brood parasitism, and the bulk of the book is devoted to 94 individual species accounts of avian brood parasites. Emphasis is on field and in-hand species identification and on those aspects of breeding biology that are related specifically to brood parasitism, rather than summarizing overall ecologies and life histories. Includes b&w drawings and distribution maps, a glossary, and Latin names."--SciTech Book News

"This volume is a useful starting point for readers unfamiliar with the topic and interested in quickly obtaining a wide overview of the phenomenon. . . . The [94] species accounts constitute an extremely compact and useful source of available information on brood parasites. . . . More than 50 pen-and-ink drawings are based on classic photographs or sketches . . . The drawings illustrate points ranging from adult morphological or plumage traits, size and appearance of eggs and nestlings, to distinctive postures, rarely seen behaviours such as egg stealing or nestling eviction, and occasional audiospectrograms of the song. . . . [T]he charm of the drawings holds its own against the glamour of colour photography available elsewhere. The drawings themselves are a good compilation of the scattered artistic body of work done on brood parasites . . . and this aesthetic component is a major asset to both the volume's readability and scholarly value."--Animal Behaviour

". . . .this book provides a useful summary of the natural history of avian brood parasitism. It is comprehensive reference work, written in a style that would appeal to the knowledgeable amateur, but is most likely to be used by specialists for the wealth of collated comparative information it contains." Ostrich

"Provides a comprehensive overview of the behavioral and reproductive ecology of brood parasitism. Makes a special effort to summarize the sparse literature on what is known or conjectured about the many little-known species of brood parasites. An impressive effort to provide a solid reference base for future research efforts into this unusual form of parasitism." -- Northeastern Naturalist, Vol 7, No 3, 2000

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0195110420
• ISBN 13: 9780195110425
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 424