Fészekparazita

Fészekparazita refers to an organism that lays its eggs in the nests of other species, leaving the parental care to the unsuspecting host. This behavior is most commonly observed in birds, where it is known as brood parasitism. The parasitic female avoids the energetic costs of incubation and raising young, relying entirely on the host to hatch and fledge her offspring.

The success of fészekparazita depends on a variety of adaptations. Parasitic eggs often mimic the appearance of the host's eggs in terms of color, size, and spotting, making them harder for the host to detect. Chicks of some parasitic species may also exhibit behaviors that further advantage them, such as faster hatching times, aggressive begging for food, or even the removal of host eggs or chicks from the nest.

Hosts can develop defenses against fészekparazita. These include recognizing and ejecting foreign eggs, abandoning parasitized nests, or even developing specific immune responses to parasitic eggs. However, the evolutionary arms race between parasites and hosts means that both strategies and counter-strategies are constantly evolving.

While most famously associated with birds like cuckoos, fészekparazita behavior is also found in some insects, such as certain species of ants and bees, and even fish. In these cases, the parasitic species exploits the social structures or parental care provided by the host species. The term highlights a specific ecological strategy centered on reproductive outsourcing.