Brood Parasitism Dynamics

Parasite egg laying, host acceptance/rejection, chick competition

Nest Population

Active nests0
Parasitized nests0
Eggs accepted0
Eggs rejected0
Parasite fledging rate--
Host chicks lost0

Decision Model

Hosts face an error trade-off: rejecting own eggs (false positives) vs accepting parasite eggs (false negatives). The optimal rejection threshold depends on relatedness, clutch value, and the cost of abandoning. Parasite chicks often evict host eggs/chicks within 24 hours of hatching.

Host fitness loss/nest--
Parasite fitness/clutch--
Evolutionary stable threshold--