Why are macaws such terrible parents?

Amazonian macaws are notoriously cruel parents. Although they may lay up to three eggs per nest, they basically only end up feeding one chick – even over-stuffing it – and let the other chick(s) die. But why?

A group of researchers has been analyzing and studying the macaw nesting habits, and has come to some interesting conclusions. One of which being that it’s a way to short-circuit brood parasitism, a practice where other birds lay their eggs in someone else’s nest, to be raised by their “foster parents.”

Image courtesy Flickr/sarabeephoto