Publisher's Synopsis
Nick Davies describes the natural histories of all the brood parasites and examines the questions they raise about the evolution of cheating and the arms race between parasites and their hosts.;Cuckoos and cowbirds are amongst the select bird groups renowned as professional parasites, who always lay their eggs in the nests of other species. Occasional parasitic laying is also widespread in many other birds, who gladly parasite the nests of their own kind when the opportunity arises.;All the puzzles are examined in descriptions of the natural history of each of the groups of parasites in turn.
