Thanks for the good information Karim!

Best wishes, Fleur


On 4/7/16 7:24 AM, "Bird Boy Karim" <birds_are@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi Fluer,
> 
> Great sighting and impressive migrant report with Brian et al on the 4th.
> 
> This cuckoo behaviour got me really intrigued. Here are excerpts from an
> article that I read:
> 
> "Observations of provisioning of young by brood parasites provide strong
> evidence that the propensity to provision young has not been lost by at least
> some individuals of some species of brood parasites. This behavior is either
> vestigial or a new development (Kikkawa and Dwyer 1962). If the latter, this
> behavior may have developed as an extension of courtship feeding (Benson and
> Serventy 1957). Courtship feeding and "parental" feeding have similar
> elements, although the motives for these behaviors differ. Courtship feeding
> allows females to assess the food-gathering ability of males, increases the
> female's nutritional reserves, and facilitates pair formation (Nisbet 1973,
> Smith 1980). "Parental" feeding, on the other hand, contributes primarily to
> the growth and development of the parasite. Courtship feeding, which also
> occurs in nonparasitic cuckoos (e.g., Dwarf Cuckoo, Ralph 1975; Black Coucal,
> Rowan 1983; Black-billed Cuckoo, Spencer 1943) and many other nonparasitic
> taxa, has been reported in 11 avian orders and in almost three-quarters of
> passerine families (Smith 1980). Although provisioning of young occurs in many
> of the same parasitic species that also courtship feed, there is not enough
> evidence to suggest that the provisioning of young developed from courtship
> feeding. First, both male and female brood parasites have been observed
> provisioning young, whereas only males feed adult females. Second, the
> provisioning of young has been observed in two parasitic species that do not
> courtship feed (Asian Koels and Brown-headed Cowbirds). Third, there is no
> significant association between courtship feeding and provisioning of young.
> It is not surprising that female brood parasites have been observed feeding
> nestlings or fledglings because they probably are the ones that find a nest
> and determine when it is suitable for laying and, in the case of many species,
> visit it to remove or pierce a host egg (e.g., Brooker and Brooker 1989,
> Carter 1986, Gill 1983, Jensen and Jensen 1969, Livesey 1936, Mason 1980,
> Sealy 1992). Males are not commonly involved in any of these activities,
> although there are a few observations of activity by parasitic males around
> nests (e.g., Sealy 1994). In light of the fact that parasitic males are seldom
> observed around host nests, it is interesting that males of the following
> species have been observed feeding nestlings and fledglings: Klaas's Cuckoo,
> African Emerald Cuckoo, Dideric Cuckoo, and Brown-headed Cowbird."
> 
> "Provisioning of young by brood parasites may be important if hosts cannot
> provide the young parasite with enough or the right kind of food. In such
> cases, limited parental care by brood parasites could be an adaptation to
> poor-quality hosts. Benson and Serventy (1957) suggested that provisioning by
> brood parasites may be necessary in cases where insectivorous brood parasites
> lay eggs in nests of herbivorous species. There is, however, no evidence for
> this because parasitic nestlings raised by herbivorous species usually do not
> survive to fledging (Eastzer et al. 1980, Kozlovic et al. 1996, Middleton
> 1991; but see Seel and Davis 1981). Further-more, most observations involve
> brood parasites feeding fledglings, not nestlings. Brood parasitic species
> should be strongly selected to avoid herbivorous hosts altogether (Kozlovic et
> al. 1996), rather than to compensate for herbivorous hosts by feeding the
> young at the nest."
> 
> Karim Kara
> 
> --------------------------------------------
> On Wed, 6/4/16, Fleur Ng'weno fleur@africaonline.co.ke [kenyabirdsnet]
> <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> 
>  Subject: [KENYABIRDSNET] Migrants on the move and more
>  To: "kenyabirdsnet" <kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com>
>  Cc: "Jennifer Oduori" <nasbinga@gmail.com>
>  Date: Wednesday, 6 April, 2016, 18:38
>  
>  
>   
>  
>  
>  
>    
>  
>  
>      
>        
>        
>        Greetings birders
>  
>  
>  
>  For once the weather people got it right: they predicted
>  rain starting on
>  
>  April 1st, and parts of Nairobi received more than 5 cm of
>  rain on the night
>  
>  of March 31-April 1, with more on the following nights. That
>  brought in a
>  
>  wave of migratory birds.
>  
>  
>  
>  Spotted Flycatchers have been scarce all season, but there
>  was one at City
>  
>  Park on March 30 (just before the rain), many in Nairobi
>  National Park,
>  
>  Jennifer Oduori found six at the Kenyatta Hospital car park
>  on Monday, and
>  
>  there were at least 5 at Uhuru Gardens this morning April
>  6.
>  
>  
>  
>  There were 7 Lesser Kestels in Nairobi National Park on
>  April 3, Gladys
>  
>  Kung'u saw more than 5 Eurasian Hobby in Ruiru over the
>  weekend, and there
>  
>  are reports of Eurasian Nightjar from the Museum grounds and
>  Juja.
>  
>  Intra-African migrants are also there, with flocks of
>  African Open-billed
>  
>  Storks over the city.
>  
>  
>  
>  The most curious sighting this morning is of a resident
>  bird, Klaas's
>  
>  Cuckoo. A brilliant male Klaas's with food in its beak
>  approached a begging
>  
>  young Klaas's Cuckoo on a branch and appeared to be
>  feeding it. This
>  
>  happened three times, then they were driven away by a
>  White-browed Sparrow
>  
>  Weaver. Now, Klaas's Cuckoos are brood parasites, right?
>  They do not raise their own young. So why was it feeding a juvenile?
>  
>  Wishing you good birding, Fleur
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
>      
>       
>  
>      
>      
>  
>  
>  
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