Familiar Birds Research Articles

A highly contiguous reference genome for the Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stelleri).

The Steller's jay is a familiar bird of western forests from Alaska south to Nicaragua. Here, we report a draft reference assembly for the species generated from PacBio HiFi long-read and Omni-C chromatin-proximity sequencing data as part of the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP). Sequenced reads were assembled into 352 scaffolds totaling 1.16 Gb in length. Assembly metrics indicate a highly contiguous and complete assembly with a contig N50 of 7.8 Mb, scaffold N50 of 25.8 Mb, and BUSCO completeness score of 97.2%. Repetitive elements span 16.6% of the genome including nearly 90% of the W chromosome. Compared with high-quality assemblies from other members of the family Corvidae, the Steller's jay genome contains a larger proportion of repetitive elements than 4 crow species (Corvus), but a lower proportion of repetitive elements than the California scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica). This reference genome will serve as an essential resource for future studies on speciation, local adaptation, phylogeography, and conservation genetics in this species of significant biological interest.

Vocal recognition of former group members, but not unknown kin, in the cooperatively breeding southern pied babbler

Studies of vocal kin recognition in avian species have typically tested responses to vocal signals based upon either familiarity (recognition via ‘learned associations’) or relatedness (recognition of genetic kin) but have rarely simultaneously tested for the effects of both. Here we examined vocal kin recognition in the cooperatively breeding southern pied babbler, Turdoides bicolor, using vocalizations from familiar kin, unfamiliar kin, familiar nonkin and unfamiliar nonkin in a playback experiment. We found limited support for recognition based upon familiarity: individuals appeared to be recognized from a period of prior association and associative learning. Focal birds (dominant females) discriminated familiar birds from unfamiliar birds, but discrimination was evident in only one of three behavioural response measures. Focal birds did not discriminate familiar kin from familiar nonkin, nor did they discriminate unfamiliar kin from unfamiliar nonkin, indicating no support for vocal recognition based on relatedness. The context of the experiment also affected discrimination, with focal birds reacting more strongly to calls from females (potential rivals) than to calls from males. Because familiarity in this species arises from the association of individuals in groups, and most groups comprise close kin, familiarity with group members offers a close proxy for kin recognition. While kin recognition systems based upon familiarity do not allow the identification of unfamiliar kin, the benefits of such recognition may be negligible in cooperatively breeding species that live in kin-based groups.

GSK-3β Inhibition in Birds Affects Social Behavior and Increases Motor Activity.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase that plays a central role in a wide variety of cellular processes, cognition and behaviour. In a previous study we showed that its α and β isozymes are highly conserved in vertebrates, however the α gene is missing in birds. This selective loss offers a unique opportunity to study the role of GSK-3β independently. Accordingly, in the present study we aimed to investigate the role of GSK-3β in social behaviour, motivation, and motor activity in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). We did that by selective inhibition of GSK-3β and by using tests that were specifically designed in our laboratory. Our results show that GSK-3β inhibition: 1) Affected social recognition, because the treated birds tended to move closer towards a stranger, unlike the control birds that stood closer to a familiar bird. 2) Caused the treated birds to spend more time in the more middle parts of the cage compared to controls, a behaviour that might indicate anxiety. 3) As the experiment progressed, the treated birds took less time to make a decision where to stand in the cage compared to controls, suggesting an effect on decision-making. 4) Increased in the motor activity of the treated birds compared to the controls, which can be regarded as hyperactivity. 5) Caused the treated birds to pass through a barrier in order to join their flock members faster compared to controls, and regardless of the increase in the level of difficulty, possibly suggesting increased motivation. Our study calls for further investigation, because GSK-3 is well acknowledged as a central player in regulating mood behaviour, cognitive functions, and neuronal viability. Therefore, studying its impact on normal behaviour as we did in the current study, unlike most studies that were done in diseases models, can advance our understanding regarding GSK-3 various roles and can contribute to the discovery and development of effective treatments to repair cognition and behaviour.

Falda’s Map as a Work of Art

Giovanni Battista Falda’s 1676 map of Rome is the most celebrated representation of the city produced during the seventeenth century. It subsumes a vast array of information but is also an exquisite visual image that opens worlds when read as a work of art. Numerous minds and hands went into its making: from Maratti’s figures of Religion and Justice to the aureole of shields containing the publisher’s letter to readers, to Widman’s lettered tables set within cartouches bedecked with mapmakers’ tools, to the parchment curl of Falda’s regional map, his familiar vedute and bird’s-eye view of the urban core.

Emotional responses to conspecific distress calls are modulated by affiliation in cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus).

Vocal communication is used across the animal kingdom to transfer information from emitters to receivers, such as size, sex, age, dominance status or even emotional states. The transmission of an emotional state from one individual to another is called “emotional contagion” and is classified as the first level of empathy. Emotional contagion is thought to be stronger between familiar individuals. While affiliation represents a stronger relation between individuals than mere familiarity, it remains understudied whether affiliation modulates emotional reactions as well. Using cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus), we played back three types of audio stimuli to individual birds: a partner’s distress call (emitted when birds are caught or forcibly restrained), a non-partner’s distress call, and a control sound (white noise). The calls were recorded from familiar birds with either low (non–partners) or high levels of affiliation (partners). The subjects’ response was scored using four behavioural parameters: the time spent near the loudspeaker, the amount of movements, the number of calls emitted, and the position of the crest. Across all variables, birds were more attentive and active when confronted to distress calls compared to control sounds, particularly when the distress call was emitted from a partner rather than a non-partner. These results raise the possibility that distress calls do not only function as a stimulus-triggering automatic reaction in cockatiels but also transmit emotions. Moreover, affiliation enhanced emotional reactions to conspecific distress calls. Our data provides first insights into the mechanisms of emotional contagion in parrots.

House sparrows\u2019 (Passer domesticus) behaviour in a novel environment is modulated by social context and familiarity in a sex-specific manner

BackgroundExploratory behaviour is one of the best-investigated behavioural traits. However, little is known about how differences in familiarity, i.e. in the knowledge and previous experience with a companion can influence the exploration of a novel environment. However, to our knowledge, such a critical feature of the social environment has never been the target of a study relating it to exploratory behaviour in birds. Here we examined if familiarity with a conspecific could affect behavioural responses of individuals confronted with a novel environment. We recorded the latency to land on the ground, latency to feed, time spent feeding and number of sectors visited of 48 female and 48 male house sparrows (Passer domesticus) in an indoor aviary in three contexts: alone (individual context), with an unfamiliar and with a familiar same-sex companion.ResultsHouse sparrows landed sooner on the ground when in the familiar context than when in the individual context. Birds in unfamiliar pairs followed each other less than familiar birds, but this difference diminished with time spent exploring. Moreover, males and females differed in their behavioural responses in the unfamiliar context. Females with a familiar companion landed sooner than when they were paired with an unfamiliar conspecific, whereas only the presence of a companion but not familiarity reduced males latency to land on the ground. Finally, when considering the unfamiliar context males had shorter latencies to forage and thus spent more time eating than females.ConclusionsThe presence or absence of a companion and its familiarity with the focal individual influenced differently the behavioural responses of male and female house sparrows in a novel environment. As house sparrows are strongly sociable, the influence of the social environment is likely to be of paramount importance to understand the selective pressures acting on them, particularly in recently colonized areas with ephemeral food sources. Our results shed light on the complex influence that the social environment has on the behavioural responses of a cosmopolitan bird.

Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) calling behavior in response to threats and in flight: Flockmate familiarity matters.

Signalers can vary their vocal behavior, depending on the presence or absence of conspecific group members, and on the composition of the group. Here we asked whether Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) signalers varied their vocal behavior, depending on whether they were in the presence of familiar or unfamiliar flockmates. We sorted 32 Carolina chickadees into 4 groups with 4 familiar birds each and 4 groups with 4 unfamiliar birds each and recorded their behavior in seminatural aviary settings. We presented the familiar and unfamiliar aviary groups with a variety of stimuli ranging in level of threat and assessed birds' calling behavior in these contexts. Birds housed with familiar flockmates called sooner in threatening stimulus presentations compared with birds housed with unfamiliar flockmates. Call rates and note compositions of calls produced did not differ for the 2 types of flock. Upon release from the captive aviaries, birds from familiar flocks were also more likely to call in flight than were birds from unfamiliar aviaries. These findings suggest that chickadees vary their calling behavior as a function of experience with their surrounding social audience and provide insight into mechanisms of flock cohesion and relationship formation and maintenance within flocks. (PsycINFO Database Record

A Comparative Study on the Nutritive Value among Quail, Hen and Duck eggs of Poultry Farm around Dhaka City

Quail is quiet familiar bird in Bangladesh but its egg is not as popular as that of hen or duck though, their low cost of production and low risk of diseases. To compare the nutritional value among the quail, hen and duck egg, a study was carried out by collecting the sample from different poultry farm around Dhaka city. After analyzing the three types of egg it was found that moisture content was highest in hen’s egg (77.33+0.19g /lOOg), as compared to Quail’s egg (72.83+0.85g/I00g) and Duck’s egg (70.59+0.39g/100g). Protein content was almost same in quail’s egg (15.29+0.43/100g) and duck’s egg (15.13+0.27g/100g) but lower in hen’s egg (12.76+0.23g/100g). Slight difference in fat content was found among three types of egg, the values being 13.22+0.16g/100g, 13.47+0.16g/100g and 13.15+0.69g/100g respectively for Hen, Duck and Quail’s egg. Total mineral content was almost same in duck’s egg (1.23+0.04g/100g) and quail eggs (1.26+0.05g/100g), but the value was slightly low in hen eggs (1.03+0.09g/100g). The value of cholesterol in quail’s egg (422.88+11.5mg/100g) was lightly greater than that of hen’s egg (373.76+lO.lmgAOOg), but in case of duck’s egg it was537.05+3.3mg/100g. It indicates that cholesterol content in duck egg was far higher than that of quail’s egg and hen’s egg. At the end of the study it is inferred that nutritive value of the quail egg was better than hen eggs in aspect of protein and mineral content. Bangladesh J. Nutr. Vol. 26-27, December 2014, P: 35-39

Familiarity adds to attractiveness in matters of siskin mate choice

There is currently considerable controversy in evolutionary ecology revolving around whether social familiarity brings attraction when a female chooses a mate. The topic of familiarity is significant because by avoiding or preferring familiar individuals as mates, the potential for local adaptation may be reduced or favoured. The topic becomes even more interesting if we simultaneously analyse preferences for familiarity and sexual ornaments, because when familiarity influences female mating preferences, this could very significantly affect the strength of sexual selection on male ornamentation. Here, we have used mate-choice experiments in siskins Carduelis spinus to analyse how familiarity and patterns of ornamentation (i.e. the size of wing patches) interact to influence mating success. Our results show that females clearly prefer familiar individuals when choosing between familiar and unfamiliar males with similar-sized wing patches. Furthermore, when females were given the choice between a highly ornamented unfamiliar male and a less ornamented familiar male, half of the females still preferred the socially familiar birds as mates. Our finding suggests that male familiarity may be as important as sexual ornaments in affecting female behaviour in mate choice. Given that the potential for local adaptation may be favoured by preferring familiar individuals as mates, social familiarity as a mate-choice criterion may become a potential area of fruitful research on sympatric speciation processes.

Homing flights of pigeons in the Frankfurt region: the effect of distance and local experience

In a meta-analysis, we analysed GPS-recorded tracks of homing pigeons, focusing on how initial behaviour and track structure change with increasing distance from the loft and on the effect of local experience. ‘Points of Decision’ divide the tracks into several phases, with the first marking the end of the initial phase, when the pigeon begins to leave the release site. With increasing distance, the number of Points of Decision increases significantly, whether pigeons are unfamiliar or familiar with the release site. In unfamiliar birds, the duration of the initial phase increases with increasing distance from the home loft, while agreement among birds decreases. These correlations with distance, not found in familiar birds, appear to reflect the necessity to interpret the still unfamiliar combination of ‘map’ factors. Pigeons starting a second time from a site take more time to leave and initially fly over a larger area, which we interpret as a procedure to integrate the respective site into their ‘map’. When pigeons are released repeatedly from the same sites, the behaviour at the beginning of the flight does not change consistently, but there are fewer decision points and overall efficiency increases. The flight routes chosen by individuals continue to differ; route stereotypies, as described in the Oxford region, are not observed. This suggests loft-specific difference in the weighting and rating of navigational factors, probably caused by the availability and suitability of these factors in the respective regions. Our findings warn against simply transferring findings from one loft to another.

Long-Term Memory for Affiliates in Ravens

SummaryComplex social life requires individuals to recognize and remember group members [1] and, within those, to distinguish affiliates from nonaffiliates. Whereas long-term individual recognition has been demonstrated in some nonhuman animals [2–5], memory for the relationship valence to former group members has received little attention. Here we show that adult, pair-housed ravens not only respond differently to the playback of calls from previous group members and unfamiliar conspecifics but also discriminate between familiar birds according to the relationship valence they had to those subjects up to three years ago as subadult nonbreeders. The birds' distinction between familiar and unfamiliar individuals is reflected mainly in the number of calls, whereas their differentiation according to relationship valence is reflected in call modulation only. As compared to their response to affiliates, ravens responded to nonaffiliates by increasing chaotic parts of the vocalization and lowering formant spacing, potentially exaggerating the perceived impression of body size. Our findings indicate that ravens remember relationship qualities to former group members even after long periods of separation, confirming that their sophisticated social knowledge as nonbreeders is maintained into the territorial breeding stage.

One duckling, two ducklings

There are many stories and rhymes which use familiar birds as an aid to counting. Here are a few you could choose from, together with related activities.

Optimal Outbreeding and the Development of Sexual Preferences in Japanese Quail

Adult male Japanese quail and, to a lesser extent, adult females were likely to approach a member of the opposite sex which they had not seen before in preference to one with which they grew up. However, they only did this if the group in which they were reared when young contained a particular number of the opposite sex: two females in the case of males and three males in the case of females. The result is explained in terms of the likelihood of the novel member of the opposite sex being slightly different from those with which the birds grew up. If the number of individuals of the opposite sex is small, a novel one is likely to be unacceptably strange, and if the number is high any novel bird from a limited laboratory stock is likely to resemble one or other of the familiar birds. A functional explanation for the quail's behaviour in terms of optical outbreeding is discussed.

No need to talk, I know you: familiarity influences early multisensory integration in a songbird’s brain

It is well known that visual information can affect auditory perception, as in the famous “McGurk effect,” but little is known concerning the processes involved. To address this issue, we used the best-developed animal model to study language-related processes in the brain: songbirds. European starlings were exposed to audiovisual compared to auditory-only playback of conspecific songs, while electrophysiological recordings were made in their primary auditory area (Field L). The results show that the audiovisual condition modulated the auditory responses. Enhancement and suppression were both observed, depending on the stimulus familiarity. Seeing a familiar bird led to suppressed auditory responses while seeing an unfamiliar bird led to response enhancement, suggesting that unisensory perception may be enough if the stimulus is familiar while redundancy may be required for unfamiliar items. This is to our knowledge the first evidence that multisensory integration may occur in a low-level, putatively unisensory area of a non-mammalian vertebrate brain, and also that familiarity of the stimuli may influence modulation of auditory responses by vision.

Comparisons between nesting densities of Tawny Frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) in open- and closed-canopy woodlands

The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is a common and familiar bird, yet there is little known of their densities in different woodland habitats. Nests of Tawny Frogmouths were surveyed in partly cleared open grassy woodland, open-canopy grassy woodland and closed-canopy dry sclerophyll forest in 2006–08. Thirty-nine nesting attempts were recorded. In 2008, when all sites were thoroughly searched, more nests were found in the open-canopy grassy woodland (0.02 nests ha-1) than in closed-canopy dry sclerophyll forest (0.006). The highest recorded density was 0.05 nests ha-1 in the partly cleared woodland in 2006. Nests were evenly spaced but at different densities in the different habitat types, with the mean nearest-neighbour distance shorter in the open-canopy grassy woodland (594 m) than in the closed-canopy dry sclerophyll forest (1322m). Overall, Tawny Frogmouths nested at highest densities in partly cleared grassy woodland, which grows on moderately rich loamy soils, at intermediate densities in open grassy woodland, which grows on similar soils, and at lowest densities in closed-canopy dry sclerophyll forest, which grows on shallow infertile soils. These findings provide a baseline against which results of future surveys of Tawny Frogmouths can be compared and so assist in monitoring the status of the species in relation to changes in the environment.

Do yellow-bellied marmots respond to predator vocalizations?

We conducted four experiments to determine whether yellow-bellied marmots, Marmota flaviventris, discriminate among predator vocalizations, and if so, whether the recognition mechanism is learned or experience-independent. First, we broadcast to marmots the social sounds of coyotes, Canis latrans, wolves, Canis lupus, and golden eagles, Aquila chrysaetos, as well as conspecific alarm calls. Coyotes and eagles are extant predators at our study site, while wolves have been absent since the mid-1930s. In three follow-up experiments, we reversed the eagle call and presented marmots with forward and reverse calls to control for response to general properties of call structure rather than those specifically associated with eagles, we tested for novelty by comparing responses to familiar and unfamiliar birds, and we tested for the duration of predator sounds by comparing a wolf howl (that was much longer than the coyote in the first experiment) with a long coyote howl of equal duration to the original wolf. Marmots suppressed foraging and increased looking most after presentation of the conspecific alarm call and least after that of the coyote in the first experiment, with moderate responses to wolf and eagle calls. Marmots responded more to the forward eagle call than the reverse call, a finding consistent with a recognition template. Marmots did not differentiate vocalizations from the novel and familiar birds, suggesting that novelty itself did not explain our results. Furthermore, marmots did not differentiate between a wolf howl and a coyote howl of equal duration, suggesting that the duration of the vocalizations played a role in the marmots’ response. Our results show that marmots may respond to predators based solely on acoustic stimuli. The response to currently novel wolf calls suggests that they have an experience-independent ability to identify certain predators acoustically. Marmots’ response to predator vocalizations is not unexpected because 25 of 30 species in which acoustic predator discrimination has been studied have a demonstrated ability to respond selectively to cues from their predators.

Navigational strategies of homing pigeons at familiar sites: do landmarks reduce the deflections induced by clock-shifting?

To analyze the navigational strategy of homing pigeons at familiar sites in view of a possible role of local landmarks, two groups of pigeons—one familiar to the release site, the other unfamiliar—were released with their internal clock shifted 6 h fast, with untreated birds of both groups serving as controls. The two groups showed median deflections of 67% and 57%, respectively, of the expected size, with no consistent difference in the size of the deflection between familiar and unfamiliar birds. This clearly shows that familiarity with the release site and with the local landscape features does not affect the size of the deflections induced by clock-shifting. Obviously, pigeons familiar with the release site do not change their navigational strategy, but still continue to determine their home course solely as a compass course. General problems with orientation by landmarks are discussed; however, landmarks may help birds to recognize a site and recall the respective course.

Hybridization in Chickadees: Much to Learn From Familiar Birds

Hybridization in Chickadees: Much to Learn From Familiar Birds

The Decline of the Corn Bunting, <i>Miliaria calandra</i>, in the Republic of Ireland

This paper reviews the decline to probable extinction of the corn bunting (Miliaria calandra )i n the Republic of Ireland. This species has undergone severe population decline in other western European countries, where studies have suggested that changes in the agricultural environment are probably largely responsible. The most important factors are thought to be the decline in mixed farming and the loss of temporary grasslands, hay meadows and undersown cereals, especially spring cereals and overwinter cereal stubbles. These crops provided the preferred breeding and overwintering habitats of the corn bunting, and the use of pesticides may have reduced the availability of invertebrate and seed food supplies. Some of these agricultural changes have also occurred in Ireland and may be responsible for the corn bunting’s decline here. Many other farmland birds have also shown severe range and population declines in western Europe, and similar agricultural changes are thought to be responsible. Some evidence suggests that many seed-eating farmland birds have undergone range declines in the Republic of Ireland. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive assessment of the population status of farmland birds in Ireland and for studies of their ecology, in order to draw up and implement effective conservation management plans. Without such action, other familiar birds could soon disappear from the Irish landscape.

Is use of a novel food source by young canaries (Serinus canarius) influenced by the sex and familiarity of the adult demonstrator?

AbstractThe influence of experienced males or females on the use of a novel food (canary seed) by juvenile canaries was studied. The tutors were either the parents, which reared the juvenile or unknown adults. In the Experiment 1, the various tutors and the juvenile could see each other through a transparent wall. We tested (i) in the young: the use of seed, the attraction towards adults and the reduction of fear, if any, brought about by the presence of the tutor, (ii) in the adults: feeding activity. Manipulation of seeds by juveniles was greater in the presence of their father than in the presence of unknown males and a stronger effect of local enhancement was observed. In the presence of familiar or unfamiliar females, manipulation of seeds was always strongly enhanced. Juveniles ingested more seeds in the presence of familiar birds of either sex than in the presence of unfamiliar birds. The study of attraction towards the adults revealed that the young could distinguish familiar from unfamiliar adults. Fear was reduced more strongly in the presence of females and familiar birds. Adult females showed high feeding activity, which was not influenced by the presence of a juvenile whether familiar or not. Among males, the consumption of seed was only high in the presence of a familiar juvenile. Detailed analysis showed that the use of seed by the juveniles was favoured by the reduction of fear brought about by the presence of the father and of females. The feeding activity of adult females significantly facilitated the use of novel food by the young. No significant effect of the presence or the activity of an unfamiliar adult male was found. Experiment 2 showed that a familiar male adult and a juvenile exerted a reciprocal influence on each other. Observation of the father was required for facilitation of seed use by juveniles. The father consumed seed whether it could see the juvenile or not but, seeing the juvenile increased seed intake significantly. In the canary, the male looks after the young, which he feeds after fledging. His behaviour favours the use of new food by the young and hence the survival of his offspring.