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Some females relish the joy of motherhood, while others would just as soon let somebody else do the work for them. For example, certain cuckoo birds are famous for their habit of nest parasitism, which refers to laying their eggs in the nests of other species, who then feed and care for the cuckoos' orphaned offspring. As is the case with most nest interlopers, the young cuckoos are larger and more aggressive than the hatchlings of the host nest. In the stiff competition for food, the weaker nest-mates usually die. Sometimes, the young cuckoos will push other eggs or chicks out of the nest, thereby eliminating the competition in the first place. It's an excellent adaptation for the cuckoo, but a disastrous one for the nest-owner.
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