Parasitic Birds and Their Hosts Studies in Coevolution [Hardcover]

This book is the first to present a comprehensive overview of parasitic birds and their hosts. Although the phenomenon has attracted the interest of naturalists and evolutionists since Darwin, only recently have researchers applied modern evolutionary theory and experimental methods to study the various adaptations related to brood parasitism. The work in this field is accelerating rapidly, and this volume collects work from the individuals and research groups around the world who have been responsible for nearly every major study in the last ten years. The papers present valuable summaries along with substantial new research, and the volume concludes with a review of important unsolved questions. The book is an invaluable resource on this fascinating topic, covering the remarkable sequences of adaptations and counter-adaptations, along with the perhaps even more remarkable cases where adaptations seem to be lacking.

Contributors
Part I Overview and commentary
1. The evolution and ecology of avian brood parasitism: an overview,Stephen I. Rothstein, Scott K. Robinson
Part II Coevolution between cuckoos and their hosts
2. Cuckoos versus hosts: experimental evidence for coevolution,Nicholas B. Davies, Michael De L. Brooke
3. Host use and egg color of Japanese cuckoos,Hiroyoshi Higuchi
4. Coevolution between the common cuckoo and its major hosts in Japan: stable versus dynamic specialization on hosts,Hiroshi Nakamura, Satoshi Kubota, Reiko Suzuki
5. Duration of sympatry and coevolution between the great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) and its primary host, the magpie (Pica pica),Manuel Soler, Juan J. Soler, Juan G. Martinez
6. Coevolution of the great spotted cuckoo and its hosts,Luis Arias-de-Reyna
7. Behavior and ecology of the shining cuckoo,Chrysococcyx lucidus,Brian J. Gill
8. Nestling eviction and voclÓõ