Birds evolved pattern recognition to spot cuckoo’s planted eggs

New pattern recognition software has shed light on the evolutionary arms race between cuckoos and the birds they target.

Cuckoos are well-known for their parasitic behaviour. Instead of raising their own young, they sneak into the nests of other birds, lay their eggs and let their oblivious victim feed and care for their young.

It isn’t just a matter of having an extra mouth to feed: baby cuckoos hatch earlier, grow faster, and will usually kick out their host’s eggs or children.

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To combat this threat, birds have developed techniques for identifying cuckoo eggs and removing them before they can hatch and wreak havoc.

Read the full, original story: Pattern recognition tools reveal cuckoo eggs arms race