Smelling Out Predators is Innate in Birds

Ardea

Marcel E. Visser¹  Luisa Amo¹  Kees van Oers¹ 

[1] 1 Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOODepartamentoKNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands

关键词: Predation Risk Assessment;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：动物科学

来源: Nederlandse Ornithologische Unie/Netherlands Ornithological Union

【 摘 要 】

Theroleofolfactionforpredationriskassessmentremainsbarelyexploredinbirds,althoughpredatorchemicalcuescouldbeusefulinpredatordetectionunderlowvisibilityconditionsformanybirdspecies.WeexaminewhetherGreatTitsParusmajorareabletousetheodourofmustelidstoassesspredationriskwhenselectingcavitiesforroosting.Weanalysedwhethertheresponsetopredatorchemicalcuesisinnateandassessedwhethertheantipredatoryresponseisassociatedwithexploratorybehaviour,aproxyforthepersonalityofbirds.Inachoiceexperimentinaviaries,weofferednaïveadultGreatTitsofknownpersonalitytwonest-boxes,onecontrolandoneexperimental.Theexperimentalnest-boxhadtheodourofamustelidpredatororastrongnewodourwithoutbiologicalsignificance,thecontrolnest-boxcontainednoodour.Whenoneofthecavitiescontainedtheodourofapredator,birdsavoidedtheuseofeitherofthetwoofferednest-boxes,whereastherewasnoavoidanceofboxeswhenoneofthenest-boxescontainedacontrolodour.Therewasnorelationshipwithexploratorybehaviour.Weshowthattheabilitytousethechemicalcuesofpredatorsisinnateinbirds,butindividualdifferencesintheresponsetopredatorchemicalcuescannotbeexplainedbythepersonalityofthebird.

【 授权许可】

Unknown