[TN-Bird] Cross-species Parenting
- From: "David Aborn" <David-Aborn@xxxxxxx>
- To: "TN-Bird" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:54:31 -0400
Bill et al.:
Blame it on hormones. When birds are in reproductive condition, the parental
instincts can be very strong. The phoebe parents probably heard the begging
calls of the wren chicks, which stimulated them to bring food. The open
mouths of the chicks also played a role. It is called the gape response.
When a parent bird sees an open mouth, it automatically feeds it. Bright
colors also help, which is why the inside of a chick's mouth is yellow,
orange, or red. All these factors help explain why parent birds will
preferentially feed the very dissimilar chicks of species like European
Cuckoos or Brown-headed Cowbirds; they have gapes that are larger and more
brightly colored than the host. That ends today's lesson; there might be a
pop quiz tomorrow.
David Aborn
Chattanooga, TN
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