The Cuckoo Chick’s Behavior: An Evolutionary Adaptation

Shortly after hatching, the cuckoo chick displays a highly specialized behavior: it uses its back to push the host’s eggs or nestlings out of the nest. This action is not learned from experience or observation, as the chick hatches blind and alone in a foreign nest. The behavior is performed with remarkable precision and consistency across the species, regardless of the host or location.

Innate Behavior Defined

This egg-removal by cuckoo chicks is a textbook example of innate behavior—a genetically programmed action that appears in an animal without prior learning or experience. Innate behaviors are:

• Present at birth or appear at a specific developmental stage

• Stereotyped and performed in the same way by all members of a species

• Not dependent on environmental learning or conditioning

In the cuckoo’s case, the chick’s egg-shoving behavior is hardwired into its nervous system, ensuring its survival in a highly competitive environment.

Why Not Other Behavioral Categories?

Let’s briefly compare innate behavior to other types of learning and behavior:

The cuckoo chick’s behavior is not a result of habituation, imprinting, or operant conditioning. It is not learned from parents or the environment but is present from the moment of hatching.

Evolutionary Significance

This innate behavior has evolved because it dramatically increases the cuckoo chick’s chances of survival. By eliminating competition, the chick ensures it receives all available resources from the foster parents. Over generations, natural selection has favored this instinct, making it a defining characteristic of the species’ reproductive strategy.

Conclusion

The common cuckoo chick’s instinctive removal of host eggs from the nest is a classic example of innate behavior. This genetically programmed action is crucial for the survival of the parasitic chick and highlights the power of evolutionary adaptation in shaping animal instincts.

Correct answer: (3) innate behavior