Discover a new temporary exhibit at Oxford University Museum of Natural History about birds that lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.
Several groups of birds around the world are obligate brood parasites, but the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is the only one that lives in the UK. Obligate brood parasites have lost the ability to build nests and incubate eggs themselves, so rely on the host bird to raise their chicks. But how do they get away with this?
Visit our new temporary display to discover how obligate brood parasites use mimicry to fool host birds into accepting their eggs.
Egg clutches from a variety of species, each containing a cuckoo egg
Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus
THE PRESENTING CASE
Nestled alongside the Museum's front desk is the Presenting Case, home to a series of temporary displays and never-before-seen specimens.