Mixed-species broods appear to be an uncommon phenomenon in altricial birds. In secondary hole-nesting birds, such as tits (Paridae), mixed-species clutches occur as a consequence of facultative interspecific brood parasitism or as a byproduct of nest takeover. Here, we report a case of a mixed-species brood composed of one Coal Tit Periparus ater and three Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus nestlings that was successfully raised by a Blue Tit pair. The foreign Coal Tit nestling received more food than its Blue Tit nestmates, possibly resulting in a larger tarsus length compared to other Coal Tit nestlings from a regular single-species brood in the same forest.
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23 November 2023
A Mixed Brood of Coal Tits Periparus ater and Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus in Central Portugal
Jorge Garrido-Bautista,
Carolina Santos-Baena,
Jaime A. Ramos,
Gregorio Moreno-Rueda,
Ana Cláudia Norte
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Ardea
Vol. 110 • No. 2
January 2024
Vol. 110 • No. 2
January 2024
Blue Tit
Coal Tit
interspecific brood parasitism
mixed-species brood
nest takeover
Paridae