Forest fragmentation has led to increases in cowbird populations because fragmentation has

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Forest fragmentation has resulted in the separation of previously connected habitats, leading to the emergence of new and smaller habitat patches. As these patches can only support a limited number of species, it often leads to the crowding of certain species, including cowbirds. These crowded populations of cowbirds are then forced to interact with other species of birds that they may not have encountered before. This can lead to new opportunities for cowbirds to parasitize the nests of these new bird species. Therefore, fragmentation has caused cowbirds to be exposed to species of birds previously unknown to them.

Forest Fragmentation Has Led to Increases in Cowbird Populations Because