Interspecific Broods at Two Heronries in Iran.

Four cases of interspecific mixed broods between Little Egrets ( Egretta garzetta; n = 175), Cattle Egrets ( Bubulcus ibis; n = 125), Squacco Herons ( Ardeola ralloides; n = 25) and Black-crowned Night-Herons ( Nycticorax nycticorax; n = 199) were recorded from 7 April to 16 August 2016 at two colonies in Iran. The rare occurrence of mixed broods and the low survival of the parasite chicks suggest that brood parasitism is not adaptive in the Ardeidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]