Cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of smaller birds.The fast-developing cowbird chicks hatch first,and push the other baby chicks out of the nest as they hatch.Which interaction best describes cowbird behavior?
A) mutualism
B) parasitism
C) predation
D) exploitative competition

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cowbirds engage in parasitism as they benefit from using the smaller bird's nest to lay their eggs, but the smaller bird bears the costs of raising the cowbird chick at the expense of their own offspring. The cowbird chick eventually outcompetes and displaces the smaller bird's offspring, resulting in a net negative effect on the smaller bird's reproductive success.

Cowbirds Lay Their Eggs in the Nests of Smaller Birds