Brood parasitism is a breeding strategy which imposes significant selection pressure upon the host as well as the parasite. Consequently, specific adaptations were formed on both sides. One of the adaptations could be vocal behaviour of brood parasite juveniles. Several conducted studies suggested that juveniles of the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) adapt the form of their begging calls according to the host species they parasitize on. However, the outcomes of these studies were ambiguous. Therefore one of my tasks was to verify those findings. Two reed warblers - the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and the reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) - living in sympatry were selected as the hosts. The structure of begging calls of common cuckoo juveniles raised by these two host species did not differ in any of the measured parameters (syllable duration, minimum and maximum frequency, peak frequency, frequency bandwidth and calling rate). On the contrary the structure of begging calls of own host juveniles varied significantly among the individual species. Moreover, a considerable individual variability was detected in both groups of cuckoo juveniles. Recent studies have revealed that juveniles already perceive sound and acquire knowledge of their parents' voices in the process of...

One of the best ways how hosts may defend their clutch against brood parasitism is recognition and rejection of parasitic eggs. It has been documented that ability to percept UV light in birds affects their behaviour. By using a spectrophotometer we found that Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) eggs and Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) eggs differ mainly in brightness but also in UV hue. We investigated the influence of birds' UV vision on recognition and rejection of parasitic eggs. Therefore we performed three experiments to reveal the role of eggshell UV reflectance on egg rejection in this host. In the first experiment, we parasitized clutches with artificial white eggs differing only in UV reflectance (UV- and UV+). In the other two, we experimentally reduced UV reflectance from conspecific and host own eggs. We used a UV light blocker, which did not influence the reflectance shape in the other parts of spectra. As a control we used a group of conspecific and own eggs coated in Vaseline, which did not affect eggshell reflectance. In each experiment, we monitored host response to parasitic eggs. Because the Reed Warbler's eggs reflect UV radiation themselves, we expected that white UV- eggs would be rejected as well as the eggs coated in UV blocker at a higher rate than white UV+ eggs and...