Interspecific feeding

{{Short description|Feeding between two separate animal species}}

Interspecific feeding refers to behaviour reported in wild animals, particularly birds where adults of one species feed the young of another species. This usually excludes the case of birds feeding brood parasites. The behaviour has been of theoretical interest since it appears to be provide little evolutionary benefit to the feeding bird.{{Cite journal|title=Interspecific feeding among some Oscines|author1=McNair, D B |author2=Bill Duyck|journal=Chat|year=1991|volume=55|issue=1|url=http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/chat/issues/1991/v55n1interspecific.pdf}}{{cite journal|journal=J. Field Ornithol.|volume=53|issue=4|pages=370–393|url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/jfo/v053n04/p0370-p0393.pdf

|title=Interspecific feeding among birds: A review|year=1982|author=Shy, Marilyn Muszalski}}{{cite journal|author=Drozdz, R, M. Hromada, Pyotr Tryjanowski|year=2004|title=Interspecific feeding of a Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) fledgling by adult Yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella)|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253349878|journal=Biological Letters|volume=41|issue=2|pages=185–187}}{{cite journal|journal=Anim. Behav.|year=1998|volume=55|pages=1451–1459|title=Adopting adoption|author1=Avita, Eytan|author2=Eva Jablonka|author3=Michael Lachmann|url=http://email.eva.mpg.de/~lachmann/papers/adoption.pdf|doi=10.1006/anbe.1998.0729|pmid=9641990|issue=6|s2cid=14318096|access-date=2009-03-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809162432/http://email.eva.mpg.de/~lachmann/papers/adoption.pdf|archive-date=2009-08-09|url-status=dead}} Some researchers have suggested that it is mainly male birds that are lured into feeding a fledgling that begs.{{cite journal|author1=Lozano, GA |author2=Lemon, RE |year= 1998| title= Adoption of yellow warbler nestlings by song sparrows| journal= Wilson Bulletin |volume=110|url=http://sora.unm.edu/node/131552|issue=1| pages=131–133}}{{cite journal| author= Southern, J. | year= 1952| title= Spotted Flycatcher feeding nestling blackbirds| journal= British Birds |volume=45|page=366}}{{cite journal|author= Watson, J. W., M. Davison, and L. L. Leschner| year=1993| title=Bald Eagles rear Red-tailed Hawks| url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/jrr/v027n02/p00126-p00127.pdf| journal= J. Raptor Res. |volume=27| pages=126–127}}{{cite journal|author= Eddinger, CR|year= 1970| title= The White-eye as an interspecific feeding helper| journal=Condor |volume=72|issue=2| page=240|url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v072n02/p0240-p0240.pdf|doi= 10.2307/1366644|jstor= 1366644}}

Such behaviour is also related to alloparenting, cross-fostering and brood adoption. Several situations have been suggested that lead to this including:

1. Bird raised in a mixed clutch{{cite journal|last1=Samplonius|first1=Jelmer M|last2=Both|first2=Christiaan|title=A Case of a Three Species Mixed Brood after Two Interspecific Nest Takeovers|journal=Ardea|date=2014|volume=102|issue=1|pages=105–107|doi=10.5253/078.102.0113|s2cid=84192446|url=https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/76117531/Samplonius_Both_2014_A_case_of_a_three_species_mixed_brood_after_two_interspecific_nest_takeovers.pdf}}
2. Original nest and brood of bird destroyed
3. Nests in very close proximity
4. Calling of young birds stimulates behaviour
5. Orphaned birds adopted temporarily or permanently
6. Male bird feeding another species while mate incubated
7. Feeding bird is mateless and finds a mateless bird at nest

Shy (1982) listed 65 species of birds involved in interspecific feeding. Riedman (1982) listed 150 species of birds that adopted young that did not belong to themselves.{{cite journal|first=Marianne L.|last=Riedman|year=1982|title=The Evolution of Alloparental Care and Adoption in Mammals and Birds| jstor=2826887| journal=The Quarterly Review of Biology|volume=57|issue= 4|pages=405–435|doi=10.1086/412936|s2cid=85378202}}