Brood parasitism can significantly impact the reproductive success of both the parasitic and nesting females. For the parasitic female, successfully laying her eggs in another's nest allows her to increase her offspring without the energy cost of raising them. However, if the nesting female recognizes the foreign eggs or chicks, she may reject them or destroy them, reducing the reproductive success of the parasitic female. Conversely, if the nesting female fails to identify the parasitic eggs, she may inadvertently raise them, leading to fewer resources and care for her own offspring, which can decrease her overall reproductive success.
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. (4 points)
Simplify your answer to three to five sentences
7 answers
Brood parasitism can help parasitic birds increase their reproductive success by laying their eggs in other females' nests, saving energy on raising young. If the nesting female recognizes the foreign eggs, she may reject or destroy them, reducing the success of the parasitic female. Conversely, if she doesn't recognize the eggs, she may raise the parasitic chicks, which can lead to fewer resources for her own young, ultimately decreasing her reproductive success.
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