Redondo and Amat (Nest switching vs. nest integration: a comment on Fernandez-Duque et al. Evolutionary Ecology, 2024) commented on our recent report of freely moving altricial fledglings incorporating themselves into the brood of a conspecific nest with offspring too young to fly. The authors bring up both related examples of this behavior in other avian lineages and several conceptual issues worth discussing. We reflect on these behavioral cases performed by ontogenetically and evolutionarily distinct species, as well as the implications of human influences on nesting, fledging, and other distinct behavioral stages.
