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23 September 2016
First record of Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) parasitism by Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) in Bangladesh
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The Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) is a widespread brood parasite in Asia, but no data on host species utilization in Bangladesh exist. By searching for nests of all possible host species of the Plaintive Cuckoo at Jahangirnagar university campus, north of Dhaka, we were able to determine which hosts were used in this area. We found that the Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) was the only potential host used by Plaintive Cuckoos, and parasitism rate was rather high (31.3 %, n = 16). However, both host and cuckoo breeding success was poor (0 %, n = 16) due to frequent nest predation. Details on host and cuckoo egg appearance are provided. Our findings indicate that Common Tailorbirds are common hosts of the Plaintive Cuckoo in Central Bangladesh.
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First record of Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) parasitism by Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) in Bangladesh
)
Abstract
The Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) is a widespread brood parasite in Asia, but no data on host species utilization in Bangladesh exist. By searching for nests of all possible host species of the Plaintive Cuckoo at Jahangirnagar university campus, north of Dhaka, we were able to determine which hosts were used in this area. We found that the Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) was the only potential host used by Plaintive Cuckoos, and parasitism rate was rather high (31.3 %, n = 16). However, both host and cuckoo breeding success was poor (0 %, n = 16) due to frequent nest predation. Details on host and cuckoo egg appearance are provided. Our findings indicate that Common Tailorbirds are common hosts of the Plaintive Cuckoo in Central Bangladesh.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Yousuf, Monoronjon and Rony for their tremendous help with feldwork, and to two anonymous referees for insightful comments that improved the quality of the manuscript. The study was supported by a grant through 'Quota Scheme' at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
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