Great Spotted Cuckoo

Great spotted cuckoos parasitize magpies and crows, but unlike common cuckoos, their chicks don't evict host offspring. Instead, cuckoo chicks compete alongside host chicks, typically outcompeting them through faster development and more aggressive begging. This competitive coexistence allows some host chicks to survive when resources are abundant.

Recent research revealed an unexpected mutualistic element. Cuckoo chicks produce foul-smelling secretions that deter predators, benefiting surviving host chicks. Parasitized nests with cuckoo chicks actually show higher host fledging success in high-predation environments. The parasite provides a protective service that partially compensates for its costs.

The business parallel illuminates competitive partnerships where parasitism and mutualism coexist. A dominant partner may extract disproportionate value while providing genuine benefits - market access, technology, or credibility that the smaller partner couldn't achieve alone. The relationship is exploitative on net but includes real mutual benefits.

Great spotted cuckoo dynamics also demonstrate context-dependent relationship valence. In low-predation environments, parasitism imposes pure costs. In high-predation environments, the protective benefit makes parasitism worthwhile. Business relationships similarly shift between parasitic and mutualistic depending on environmental conditions - partners valuable during threats become costly in stable times.