Health
In times of ecological uncertainty, brood parasites hedge their bets – Phys.org
Some birds lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species and let the host parents raise their young. A new study finds that in times of environmental flux, these brood parasites “diversify their portfolios,” minimizing the risks of their unorthodox lifest…
Some birds lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species and let the host parents raise their young. A new study finds that in times of environmental flux, these brood parasites “diversify their portfolios,” minimizing the risks of their unorthodox lifestyle by increasing the number and variety of hosts they select as adoptive parents.
“We found that, in unstable environments, brood parasites choose to not put all their eggs in one basket,” said study lead author Nicholas Antonson, a Ph.D. …
