NOVA scienceNOWNOVA scienceNOWNOVA scienceNOWComing up

Gangster Birds: Links & Books

Links

Cowbirds and Conservation
www.audubon.org/bird/research/
Find basic information about Molothrus ater, learn about the impact of cowbird parasitism, and more at this website from the National Audubon Society.

Eggs: A Virtual Exhibition
www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/vexhibit/eggs/vexhome/broodpar.htm
Learn about brood parasitism and see how cowbird eggs compare to some of their host species' eggs at this website from the Royal Alberta Museum.

National Audubon Society
www.audubon.org
Find out about endangered birds, including some songbirds that the cowbird parasitizes, and learn more about the birds that live in your area.

Books

The Art of Being a Parasite
by Claude Combes and Daniel Simberloff (trans.). University of Chicago Press, 2005.

Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats
by N.B. Davies. T. & A. D. Poyser, 2000.

Parasitic Birds and Their Hosts: Studies in Coevolution
by Stephen I. Rothstein and Scott K. Robinson. Oxford University Press, 1998.

The Avian Brood Parasites: Deception at the Nest
by Paul A. Johnsgard. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Articles

"Noble Eagles, Nasty Pigeons, Biased Humans"
by Natalie Angier. The New York Times, April 29, 2008.
www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/science/29angi.html

"'Mafia Birds' Make Others Raise Their Young ... Or Else"
by Mason Inman. National Geographic News, March 6, 2007.
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070306-mafia-birds.html

"Cowbirds: Engaging in 'Mob' Behavior?"
Weekend Edition Saturday, March 10, 2007.
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7819826

"Retaliatory Mafia Behavior by a Parasitic Cowbird Favors Host Acceptance of Parasitic Eggs"
by Jeffrey P. Hoover and Scott K. Robinson. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, March 13, 2007.
www.pnas.org/content/104/11/4479.abstract


Disclaimer

Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation, a cofunder of this site.