Question

In some species of birds, mothers lay their eggs in the nests of other females. This is called brood parasitism. Sometimes, the nesting female recognizes the other bird’s egg or chick, and other times, she doesn’t. In three to five sentences, explain how parasitic behavior may affect the reproductive success of parasitic and nesting females.

Answer 1

Parasitic behavior can have both positive and negative effects on the reproductive success of parasitic and nesting females. For parasitic females, it may increase their reproduction success as they can save energy and resources by not building nests or caring for their young. For nesting females, it can have negative effects as they may end up raising the chicks of the parasitic female at the expense of their own young. However, if the nesting female recognizes and removes the parasite’s egg or chick, her own reproductive success may be increased.