conspecific brood parasitism

Conspecific brood parasitism is an animal behavior where an animal lays its eggs in the nest of another individual of the same species. This differs from general parasitism, where one species benefits at the expense of another. In conspecific brood parasitism, the parasite avoids the costs of nest building and parental care. While it occurs in over 30 species of ducks and geese, as well as other birds like quail and starlings, it is not as common as heterospecific brood parasitism, where species like cuckoos and cowbirds lay eggs in the nests of different species.123