Author(s): Bártol, I., Moskát, C., Karcza, Z. & Kisbenedek, T.
Title: Great Reed Warblers bury artificial objects, not only Cuckoo eggs
Year: 2003
Volume: 49
Pages: 111-114.
Abstract: The Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) is a frequently used host of the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) in Hungary, locally parasitism rate may exceed 50%. Earlier studies revealed that Great Reed Warblers buried approx. 2–3% of the Cuckoo eggs, when clutches were parasitised naturally. In the pre-incubation stage we placed non-egg shaped foreign objects, pieces of reed stems as light elongated objects, and two types of small coins, like heavy rounded objects into Great Reed Warbler nests in central Hungary. Birds easily ejected reed stems from nest (88%), but the coins were more frequently buried. Approx. 53% of the small coins and 19% of the big coins were buried. Our results showed that Great Reed Warblers were able to bury foreign objects, so burial might have a general cleaning role.
Keywords: Acrocephalus arundinaceus, nest cleaning, brood parasitism, antiparasite defence, egg burial, Cuculus canorus
Journal: Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Journal abbreviation:
ISSN: 1217-8837
Publisher: Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest
Editor(s): Matskási, I. & Peregovits, L.
