The context of social learning: association patterns in a captive flock of brown-headed cowbirds

Abstract

Much work on social learning has involved behaviour transmission between pairs of individuals, but recently the need to examine the social context in which learning occurs has been recognized. Previous studies using small numbers of animals have shown social influence on the behavioural development of juvenile male brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater. Here we looked at the larger social context that forms the framework for such influence in more natural settings. We allowed a captive group of over 70 cowbirds, comprising adult and juvenile males and females, to associate freely in a large complex of connected aviaries. Highly organized social assortment emerged in the group, with individuals associating with others based on similarity in age and sex. Juvenile males that associated more with adult males had higher courtship success. Juvenile males that associated more with females sang less over the year. These results indicate that the social context of social learning for juvenile males is not just random association with all other birds in the social group, but is a selective and structured pattern of interaction. Differences in navigating this social structure correlated with courtship success and vocalization, behaviour known to be affected by social learning. Studies such as this, using large groups with free assortment of individuals, are the first step towards understanding the effects of the larger social context surrounding social learning.