Question

brood parasitism is a reproductive strategy used by some species of birds where a female (the parasite) lays her eggs in the nest of another female (the host) and then leaves. this way, the parasitic bird does not have to take care of her own offspring.

advantage to parasite	disadvantage to host
possible increase in total number of offspring	possible decrease in surviving host offspring

which behavioral strategy is most likely to provide a reproductive advantage only to the population of host birds?
a. completely abandoning a nest that includes parasitic eggs
b. recognizing parasitic eggs and removing them from the nest
c. increasing foraging to feed host offspring and the parasitic offspring
d. producing larger eggs so there is no room for parasitic birds to lay their eggs

Explanation:

To determine the strategy that benefits only host birds, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Abandoning the nest with parasitic eggs also abandons host offspring, so it doesn't help host reproduction.
• Option B: Removing parasitic eggs means the host only invests energy in its own offspring, increasing the survival of host offspring. This benefits only the host population.
• Option C: Increasing foraging to feed both host and parasitic offspring still expends energy on the parasite's young, not only benefiting the host.
• Option D: Producing larger eggs may not prevent parasitic egg - laying (parasites could still lay eggs, or the strategy has other issues) and doesn't directly ensure only host offspring are raised.

Answer:

B. Recognizing parasitic eggs and removing them from the nest