Abstract
The increase in body weight, and of tarsal, culmen, wing and tail lengths in nestlings of the Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) and of its host, the Magpie (Pica pica), was studied in the Hoya de Guadix (southern Spain). The effect of parasitism on the growth of host nestlings was also analyzed. Great Spotted Cuckoo nestlings grew faster than Magpie nestlings in unparasitized and in parasitized nests. There is some evidence that the size of the host species did not influence the growth rate of parasite nestlings. When more than one parasite chick was raised in the same nest, competition for food was strong and the younger nestling starved. Magpie chicks had a larger weight asymptote and reached 90% of the asymptotic value earlier in unparasitized nests than in parasitized ones.
Published Version
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