The interactions between avian obligate interspecific brood parasites and their hosts provide
tractable systems for studying coevolutionary processes in nature. This review highlights …

Classic evolutionary theory predicts that monogamy should be intimately linked with
parental care. It has long been assumed, therefore, that avian brood parasites—which lay …

For many hosts of brood-parasitic birds, their frontline of defence is to mob adult parasites
that approach the nest. Mobbing is commonly interpreted as an adaptation to prevent the …

Generalist brood parasites that share nests with host nestlings can optimize resource
acquisition from host parents by balancing the benefits that host nest-mates provide …

Despite the costs to avian parents of rearing brood parasitic offspring, many species do not
reject foreign eggs from their nests. We show that where multiple parasitism occurs, rejection …

Obligate brood parasites neither build their own nests nor rear their offspring. Instead, they
lay their eggs in nests of individuals of other species (hosts) that take care of the parasite's …

Obligate brood parasitic birds, such as cowbirds, evade parental care duties by laying their
eggs in the nests of other species. Cowbirds are assumed to avoid laying repeatedly in the …

Obligate avian brood parasites do not provide direct care to their young but can indirectly
increase their offspring's success in host nests. One way in which parasitic cowbirds …

Brood parasites have demanding needs of host resources. Brood parasitic offspring are
highly competitive and frequently cause the failure of host broods and the survival of a single …

Highlights•Shiny cowbird begging calls differ in acoustic structure to those of house
wrens.•Cowbird calls elicit higher provisioning by wren parents than wren calls.•Long …