Re: Cuckoo years: good and bad

[WM James Davis <>]

On Wed, 3 Sep 1997, Michael John Ramsey wrote:

>  
> In reference to the Cuckoo question of bad years and good years, I would
> agree with Mike in that 1994 was a good year for Cuckoos. That spring was
> also quite a dry one so perhaps Cuckoos that would normally spend the
> spring/summer in more inland areas were forced southwards because of the
> dry weather. 
> 
> In regards the question of Cuckoo's "rotating" areas they spend the
> spring/summer in ...

  Is there any possibility that competive exclusion could be occurring?
That is, one species of cuckoo once established will exclude other species
of the same size or other species that parasitize the same host species?
I would think that in general the population levels of the host species
is a biggest factor that determines populations levels of cuckoos.

Cheers, Jim