Philip,
Thanks for your comments. It is good to know that other people have suggested the distraction idea previously. In fact the absence of further calling on the following day is supportive of the idea, i.e. there is no further need , assuming an egg was successfully laid in a host nest.
Jack
From: "Philip A. Veerman" <>
Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2001 14:13:36 +1100
To: "Jack Shapiro" <>
Subject: Backyard invasion by Channel-billed Cuckoos
I think your suggestion that cuckoos create a commotion or that the males allow themselves to be chased around to distract the host species, in whose nest they lay eggs, to give a female cuckoo an opportunity to lay an egg while the others are being pursued is a very old suggestion and probably applies to many species of cuckoo. Whether it is deliberate or thought out is debatable but the suggestion certainly has been made for European Cuckoos and probably many other species.
Philip
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