In some species of birds, mothers lay their eggs in the nests of other females. This is called brood parasitism. Sometimes, the nesting female recognizes the other bird’s egg or chick, and other times, she doesn’t. In three to five sentences, explain how parasitic behavior may affect the reproductive success of parasitic and nesting females. (4 points)
Parasitic behavior can affect the reproductive success of both parasitic and nesting females in a few ways. For the parasitic female, laying eggs in another bird's nest allows her to offload the costs of incubation and chick-rearing onto another bird, increasing her chances of survival and producing more offspring. However, if the nesting female recognizes the foreign egg or chick, she may abandon the nest, reducing the chances of success for the parasitic female's offspring. In contrast, for the nesting female, raising a parasitic chick can be energetically costly and may decrease her overall reproductive success if she ends up investing more resources in a chick that is not her own. Additionally, if the parasitic chick outcompetes her own offspring for food and attention, it can further reduce the nesting female's reproductive success.
