broedparasitisme

Broedparasitisme is a reproductive strategy where certain animal species, most notably birds, lay their eggs in the nests of other species, known as hosts. The host then incubates the foreign eggs and raises the young as its own, often at the expense of its own offspring. This behavior is a form of ecological interaction and has evolved independently in several groups of animals.

The most famous example of broedparasitisme is seen in cuckoos. Female cuckoos typically lay a single egg in a host's nest, often mimicking the appearance of the host's eggs in color and size to avoid detection. Once hatched, the cuckoo chick often engages in behaviors that further disadvantage the host's own young. This can include ejecting the host's eggs or chicks from the nest, or outcompeting them for food due to its rapid growth rate and begging behavior.

Broedparasitisme can have significant consequences for the host population. Heavy parasitic pressure can lead to reduced reproductive success and even population decline for host species. However, hosts have also evolved counter-adaptations, such as recognizing and rejecting foreign eggs, or abandoning parasitized nests. The evolutionary arms race between parasites and hosts is a dynamic process that continues to shape the behavior and biology of both. While birds are the most studied, broedparasitisme also occurs in some fish, insects, and even plants.