American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Science Article 3
abstract
In response to avian brood parasitism, hosts may develop a number of defenses to reducethe negative consequences parasitism can have on the host’s reproductive success. Thesebehaviors may include aggression towards a parasite, rejection of parasitic eggs, or nestdesertion. Comparisons of populations that are exposed to parasitism and populationswhere parasitism is rare or absent may be useful to explain the evolution and maintenanceof these behaviors.
Alexander Cruz and Lisa Cooper, Department of Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology, University of Colorado