<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>There are numerous publications in the ornithological literature on mixed-species broods, i.e. on cases when a species lays some or all of its eggs into the nests of other species. This phenomenon, known as brood parasitism, has not yet been studied in Hungary. Here, I use the term brood parasitism, but I could not separate cases of egg dumping, a reproductive error by females. Based on literature and my own observations, I found evidence for interspecific brood parasitism in 28 species breeding in Hungary, not including the cases of the obligate interspecific brood parasite, the Common Cuckoo <italic>(Cuculus canorus)</italic>. Only one of these belongs to passerines, while in the rest of the cases, this phenomenon occurred in representatives of non-passerine families. However, cases of brood parasitism and nest parasitism have to be treated separately. The latter refers to cases when a species occupies a nest, usually a nesthole or nestbox, already containing eggs of another species, and lays its own eggs next to the foreign eggs. The present study provides data on European Roller <italic>(Coracias garrulus)</italic>, Northern Goshawk <italic>(Accipiter gentilis)</italic>, Common Kestrel <italic>(Falco tinnunculus)</italic>, Red-footed Falcon <italic>(Falco vespertinus)</italic>, Eurasian Hobby <italic>(Falco subbuteo)</italic>, tit species (<italic>Parus, Cyanistes, Poecile</italic> spp.), Eurasian Nuthatch <italic>(Sitta europaea)</italic> and Eurasian Tree Sparrow <italic>(Passer montanus)</italic>, but in all likelihood the number of species involved is much higher.</p></abstract>

There are numerous publications in the ornithological literature on mixed-species broods, i.e. on cases when a species lays some or all of its eggs into the nests of other species. This phenomenon, known as brood parasitism, has not yet been studied in Hungary. Here, I use the term brood parasitism, but I could not separate cases of egg dumping, a reproductive error by females. Based on literature and my own observations, I found evidence for interspecific brood parasitism in 28 species breeding in Hungary, not including the cases of the obligate interspecific brood parasite, the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Only one of these belongs to passerines, while in the rest of the cases, this phenomenon occurred in representatives of non-passerine families. However, cases of brood parasitism and nest parasitism have to be treated separately. The latter refers to cases when a species occupies a nest, usually a nesthole or nestbox, already containing eggs of another species, and lays its own eggs next to the foreign eggs. The present study provides data on European Roller (Coracias garrulus), Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus), Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), tit species (Parus, Cyanistes, Poecile spp.), Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), but in all likelihood the number of species involved is much higher.

Cases of occasional interspecific brood parasitism and egg dumping in Hungary

Ornis Hungarica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Cases of occasional interspecific brood parasitism and egg dumping in Hungary"}

There are numerous publications in the ornithological literature on mixed-species broods, i.e. on cases when a species lays some or all of its eggs into the...

Cases of occasional interspecific brood parasitism and egg dumping in Hungary

Published Online: Dec 16, 2019

Page range: 115 - 141

Received: Oct 02, 2019

Accepted: Nov 02, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2019-0020

Keywords
brood parasitism, nest parasitism, egg dumping, abandoned addled egg, non-passerines, passerines

© 2019 László Haraszthy, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Cases of occasional interspecific brood parasitism and egg dumping in Hungary

Published Online: Dec 16, 2019

Page range: 115 - 141

Received: Oct 02, 2019

Accepted: Nov 02, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2019-0020

Keywordsbrood parasitism, nest parasitism, egg dumping, abandoned addled egg, non-passerines, passerines

© 2019 László Haraszthy, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
brood parasitism, nest parasitism, egg dumping, abandoned addled egg, non-passerines, passerines