Fine-scale Cognitive Processes in Cuckoo Hosts: Field Experiments in Guizhou, China

Guo Zhong's dataset documents field experiments on egg recognition cognition in two host bird species, the stonechat and grey bushchat, in southwestern China. The data was collected from March to August across 2018–2024 in the Liuzhi region of Guizhou. It includes observations of host rejection responses to model eggs under different parasitism conditions.

Use Cases

• Compare egg rejection behavior between two host species based on parasitism patterns described in the study.
• Analyze the role of egg background color as a recognition cue based on experiments with brown, red, white, and blue model eggs.
• Study the correlation between traditional agricultural practices and bird breeding distribution as mentioned in the description.
• Model the level of cuckoo egg mimicry based on host egg coloration criteria referenced from prior literature.

Strengths

• Data collection spans six breeding seasons from 2018 to 2024, providing a multi-year time series.
• Experiments were conducted with model eggs designed to match host egg size to control for size as a recognition cue.
• Host responses were recorded via video monitoring and regular nest checks, suggesting multiple data capture methods.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the single study region in Guizhou, China.

Provenance

Source

Guo Zhong

Collection Method

Systematic field searches and experimental introduction of model eggs into host nests, with monitoring via video and nest checks.

Time Range

March to August, 2018–2024

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-12 05:22:57; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Liuzhi region of Guizhou, southwestern China (26°13′ N, 105°42′ E)