title: Egg rejection in blackbirds Turdus merula: a by-product of conspecific parasitism or successful resistance against interspecific brood parasites?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditional theory assumes that egg recognition and rejection abilities arise as a response against interspecific brood parasitism (IBP). However, rejection also appears in some species that are currently not exploited by interspecific parasites, such as Turdus thrushes. Recent evidences suggest that rejection abilities evolved in these species as a response to conspecific brood parasitism (CBP). To test these two alternative hypotheses, we performed an experimental study by parasitizing nests of the common blackbird (Turdus merula) with conspecifics or heterospecific eggs under different risk of parasitism (presence of interspecific or conspecific parasites near the nest). Common blackbird is a potential host of the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) but suffers low levels of CBP too.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that blackbirds were able to recognize and eject heterospecific eggs at high rates whereas most of conspecifics eggs were not recognized and, therefore, accepted. Ejection rates of conspecific eggs did not exceed 13 %, even in situations of high risk of CBP (blackbird female placed near the nest), which contradict the main prediction derived from the CBP hypothesis. Conversely, ejection rates of experimental eggs simulating IBP were much higher (80-100 %). Furthermore, female blackbirds were more aggressive towards cuckoos than towards blackbird dummies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results considered together support the IBP hypothesis, indicating that recognition and rejection of parasitic eggs in blackbirds have probably evolved due to previous cuckoo parasitism. The current absence of IBP in blackbirds may be due to the highly efficient rejection abilities in this species. Thus, these abilities have been retained in absence of brood parasitism as a consequence of the low costs involved for blackbirds, resulting in a successful resistance against interspecific brood parasitism.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Raya
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roncalli
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abaurrea
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología de Humedales, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain ; Behavioral and Physiological Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P. O. box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Juan Diego
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ibáñez-Álamo
keywords: Common blackbird; Conspecific brood parasitism; Egg recognition; Egg rejection; Interspecific brood parasitism; Successful resistance