Farming Behavior by the Large Hawk‐Cuckoo Toward the Silver‐Eared Mesia and Black‐Streaked Scimitar Babbler
Feiling Pang, Keyan Zhang, Ziyu Yuan, Jianping Liu

TL;DR
The Large Hawk-cuckoo was observed destroying nests of host and potential host birds, possibly to encourage them to re-nest, creating new chances for parasitism.
Contribution
First documentation of farming behavior by the Large Hawk-cuckoo toward two bird species.
Findings
Large Hawk-cuckoo removed a chick from the Black-streaked Scimitar Babbler nest.
Large Hawk-cuckoo ejected three chicks from the Silver-eared Mesia nest.
This behavior aligns with the farming hypothesis in brood parasites.
Abstract
Brood parasites improve their reproductive success by offloading the costs of incubation and chick‐rearing onto host species. This interaction often triggers an evolutionary arms race between increasingly deceptive brood parasites and increasingly defensive hosts. According to the farming hypothesis, when suitable host nests are limited, some parasitic birds may destroy unsuitable host nests through “Farming behavior” to induce re‐nesting, thereby creating new opportunities for parasitism. Despite its potential significance, this behavior has been documented in only a few brood‐parasitic species. In 2024, in Jindong County, Pu'er City, Yunnan Province, southwestern China, we successfully captured video evidence of Farming behavior by the Large Hawk‐cuckoo (Hierococcyx sparverioides) on its host, the Black‐streaked Scimitar Babbler ( Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis ), and potential host, the…
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Taxonomy
TopicsAvian ecology and behavior · Bird parasitology and diseases · Coccidia and coccidiosis research
