Brood Parasite - Klaas's Cuckoo

Klaas's Cuckoo being raised by its adoptive parents, a pair of Malachite Sunbirds.  Klaas's Cuckoo parasitizes amongst others, Malachite Sunbird nests.  The Cuckoo kicks out the hosts eggs as soon as it has hatched and is a very demanding "baby" and eats at least as much as three Malachite chicks would have.  An excellent form of insect control in any garden. Below an adult male Klaas's Cuckoo

Firstly what is a brood parasite?  Well that is a bird that has become so clever it uses another bird to raise its young.  This process has become so refined that the "intruder" can even lay eggs that match those of the host!  In this case we have a Klaas's Cuckoo that has used a Malachite Sunbird pair to be the hosts.  Female cuckoo's carefully watch where nests are built and times her own egg laying to coincide with that of the host.  She lays only one egg and if she has successfully fooled the hostess then she has accomplished her mission.

The cuckoo egg usually hatches before that of the host's eggs, the cuckoo chick then deftly "kicks" the other eggs out of the nest.  In the unlikely event one of the other eggs has hatched the cuckoo chick will kill the chick.  The reason for this is that the cuckoo will need all the food the hosts can provide as it is a much larger bird than the poor hosts.

In this case we became of the cuckoo chick by the incessant chirping ..... it literally only stops to eat and at night to sleep!  The incessant chirping keeping the adoptive parents on their toes as this also attracted the unwanton attention of other birds.  The male Malachite almost never brought food to the chick, however, he was always close by to keep the riff-raff at bay.  A particularly stubborn Cape Weaver endured the wrath of the male and female Malachite Sunbirds!

Lots of begging and wing flapping was the order of the day as the female returned time and time again with a beak full of insects.  The cuckoo chick has since fledged and peace and quite have returned to the garden, no doubt a very relieved pair of Malachite Sunbirds!