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if memory serves in many cases ( because there are a lot of parasite birds ) it's an evolutionary thing to prevent the parasite layer from destroying their own eggs - many of the parasite species will check on the nest after the fact and destroy it / the eggs if their eggs have been removed

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OK, presumably 'parasite' birds instinctively know the various species of birds that they can get away with the practice. Laying an egg in an osprey or eagle's nest would likely mean they'd end up as food.

Is there any definitive research on this?

Yeah! They tend to specialize against particular species!

I don't have research documents on hand atm, but I do have a terrifying video about them from zefrank: https://youtu.be/9TZQDA2yabg

Sorry I didn't reply earlier when I first read post but then I only skimmed the video. Since seen it thoroughly several times and I am surprised at the extent of this parasitic action by birds, I knew vaguely about the cuckoo but not much else about the subject.

I think I've learned more from that story on 'Bin chickens than any other HN story in quite a while, it took me down all sorts of alleys, research papers, etc.

Initially I wasn't even going to click on this story as there are so many of them on HN and I've only a casual interest in birds from the fact that I see then in my neighborhood. It's interesting really how things turn out (and how one learns things).

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