Breeding biology of the Fan-tailed Gerygone Gerygone flavolateralis in relation to parasitism by the Shining Bronze-cuckoo Chalcites lucidus

Apart from a few well-studied examples, there is little information regarding the life history and ecological requirements of brood parasites and their hosts in most cuckoo–host systems, particularly in tropical areas. In New Caledonia, the Fan-tailed Gerygone Gerygone flavolateralis, is the exclusive host of the Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Chalcites lucidus. Here, the arms race has escalated to the nestling stage, and both host and parasite have polymorphic (difference in skin coloration) nestlings. This is a novel system for the study of brood parasitism, but very little is known about the breeding biology of the Fan-tailed Gerygone and how this may affect the co-evolutionary interactions with the Shining Bronze-cuckoo. We monitored active nests of the Fan-tailed Gerygone during six breeding seasons, using video monitoring and direct observation. Nest attendance periods of host parents were shorter during laying than during incubation, and therefore parasitism was more likely to occur during the laying period. Cuckoos eggs were on average 2 days more developed than host eggs, and thus cuckoo nestlings usually hatched before host nestlings. Fan-tailed Gerygone nestling phenotypes had similar growth and fledging rates and their frequency did not differ between habitats, indicating no apparent trade-off with skin coloration. The precipitation regime affected predation but not the parasitism rate. The current situation in New Caledonia suggests a higher selection pressure on the parasite than on the host. Our study highlights the importance of data on the breeding biology of the host in the context of studies on brood parasitism.