<p>For ground- and hole-nesting birds, accurately identifying and retrieving eggs or nestlings that accidentally roll out of the nest can benefit offspring survival and improve reproductive success. In this study, two species of ground-nesting bunting hosts of the common cuckoo (<i>Cuculus canorus</i>) that breed sympatrically within the same area, namely, the south rock bunting (<i>Emberiza yunnanensis</i>) and yellow-throated bunting (<i>E. elegans</i>), were studied. By placing their own nestlings next to the host nests and video recording the parental behavioral response, we aimed to explore the retrieval behavior of these two bunting hosts toward nestlings beside the nest. The results showed that neither species exhibited retrieval or rejection behavior toward the nestlings; the yellow-throated bunting ignored its own nestlings beside the nest in most cases, while the south rock bunting showed a moderate proportion of ignoring nestlings. Compared to the yellow-throated bunting, the south rock bunting had a higher feeding rate (43.75% vs. 15.38%) toward the nestlings beside the nest. Our study showed that no nestling retrieval behavior in two bunting hosts of the common cuckoo and the location of the nestlings may be an important factor affecting parental recognition. The hosts’ behavior of not retrieving nestlings benefits the survival of parasitic chicks, which is advantageous for avian obligate brood parasites.</p>