title: Spatial patterns of egg laying and multiple parasitism in a brood parasite: a non-territorial system in the great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius).
abstract: We analysed the spatial and temporal pattern of egg laying in great spotted cuckoo females using microsatellite typing to determine parentage of the eggs and nestlings found in host (magpie) nests. The results showed that there were no exclusive laying territories in the study area. Cases of multiparasitism could be due to single females laying two or more eggs in a nest, or to several females using the same nest. In the latter case multiparasitism was due to a shortage of available host nests. We argue that the need for very large laying areas and the likely small cost of sharing parental care for chicks make the costs of defending territories higher than the benefits, which has constrained the evolution of territoriality in this species.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Animal y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain e-mail: mvivaldi@goliat.ugr.es, Fax: +34-958-243238, , , , , , ES.
authors.forename: Juan Gabriel
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Animal y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain e-mail: mvivaldi@goliat.ugr.es, Fax: +34-958-243238, , , , , , ES.
authors.forename: Juan Jose
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Animal y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain e-mail: mvivaldi@goliat.ugr.es, Fax: +34-958-243238, , , , , , ES.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK, , , , , , GB.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burke
keywords: Clamator glandarius; Egg laying; Key words Brood parasitism; Multiple parasitism; Territory