The Brown-headed Cowbird: North America’s avian brood parasite  

褐头牛鹂:北美的巢寄生鸟类(英文)

作　　者：Brian D.PEER James W.RIVERS Stephen I.ROTHSTEIN 

机构地区：[1]美国西伊利诺斯大学生物科学系 [2]美国俄勒冈州立大学森林生态系统与社会学系 [3]美国加州大学Santa Barbara分校生态,进化与海洋生物学系

出　　处：《Chinese Birds》2013年第1期93-98,共6页中国鸟类（英文版）

摘　　要：There are five species of parasitic cowbirds (Molothrus) and the Brown-headed Cowbird (M. ater) is the only widespread species in North America. The Brown-headed Cowbird is a host generalist and is typically found in open habitats and forest edges. The cowbirds are of a more recent origin than many other brood parasites and perhaps as a result, cowbird adaptations for parasitism and their hosts’ counter-adaptations to thwart parasitism do not appear as sophisticated as those of other brood parasite-host systems. Because of its generalist nature, the cowbird has the potential to negatively impact endangered host species whose populations are limited due to anthropogenic habitat loss. As a consequence, the Brown-headed Cowbird is one of the few brood parasitic species that is the subject of control programs to limit its effects on such hosts.Molothrus属的5种牛鹂中,褐头牛鹂(Molothrus ater)是唯一一种在北美广泛分布和常见的寄生性繁殖的牛鹂。褐头牛鹂主要见于开阔地和林缘,为泛性寄生且进化历史较晚,因此其与宿主之间的协同进化适应远不如其他鸟类巢寄生系统。由于褐头牛鹂能广泛寄生各种潜在的宿主鸟类,很可能导致一些濒危鸟类的灭绝,这引起了人们对这一寄生牛鹂的高度关注,而如何控制这一鸟类,也成为保护生物学的一个热点问题。

关 键 词：brood parasitism Brown-headed Cowbird cowbird management host generalist Molothrus 

分 类 号：Q958[生物学—动物学]