Nest Building Research Articles

The effects of hands-on content-language integrated learning on fourth graders’ acquisition of target vocabulary and procedural knowledge in Taiwan

Despite the widespread use of multimodal pedagogies in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) contexts, empirical studies specifically focusing on the impact of hands-on learning on target vocabulary and procedural knowledge acquisition in CLIL Social Studies, particularly in Taiwan, are relatively uncommon. Grounded in embodied learning theories, this study investigated the comparative impact of hands-on learning versus worksheet-based instruction on fourth graders’ target vocabulary acquisition and procedural knowledge within a CLIL Social Studies setting in Taiwan. The study also explored students’ perceptions of their learning experiences with these instructional methods. This quasi-experimental study involved four intact fourth-grade CLIL Social Studies classes from three elementary schools in Taiwan, comprising 40 students in the Experimental Group (EG), who engaged in hands-on learning, and 34 students in the Control Group (CG), who engaged in worksheet-based learning. Activities included Chinese dumpling making, bird’s nest building, and designing a pot of succulents. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests to assess target vocabulary acquisition and procedural knowledge, followed by learner experience surveys to evaluate students’ perceptions of their learning experiences. The analysis included paired-samples t-tests, independent-samples t-tests, and thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses. Results revealed that the EG significantly outperformed the CG in both target vocabulary acquisition and procedural knowledge across all three activities, with large effect sizes (d = 1.05–1.51 for target vocabulary and 0.95–2.89 for procedural knowledge), demonstrating the effectiveness of hands-on learning. However, while significant differences were observed in memory retention of target vocabulary and procedural knowledge from the survey results, no significant differences were found between the EG and CG in terms of perceived ease of learning. These findings suggest that hands-on learning offers substantial benefits over traditional worksheet-based instruction in CLIL settings, though the transition to hands-on methods may require additional support. Practical implications include the strategic selection of relevant vocabulary, the implementation of structured hands-on approaches, and the emphasis on behavioral reinforcement to enhance learning outcomes.

The Agoutis: A Future Model for Ecologically Relevant Neuroscience and Physiology In Natura

ABSTRACTThe overarching goal of neurobiology is to understand how complex behaviors are generated by the nervous system. The behavior of each species, and the brain that controls it, is shaped by the historical and current state of the environment that they inhabit. This fact is juxtaposed with the reductionist approach of neuroscience that isolates animals from their natural environment. Understanding how brains evolved to orchestrate the myriads of natural behaviors an animal performs in response to its environment requires an integrative approach to neuroscience that considers ecology, ethology, and evolution. Current technological developments are leading us to an inflection point at which studying brain functions in the wild is now possible. Ecological studies on how the environment affects behavior of animals (i.e., hibernation, foraging, food hoarding, and nest building) have framed a plurality of questions to be answered mechanistically, and yet, only few studies have addressed the relationship between the environment and the brain's anatomy and physiology. Neuroscience needs new animal models that allow us to tackle such questions in the wild. Here, we propose a new animal model for wild neuroscience, the agouti (Dasyprocta spp.), a large wild rodent playing a critical seasonal role in the maintenance of the central and south American rainforest ecosystems. We focus on how a rodent model, like the agouti, will allow for the investigation of large‐scale brain dynamics during seasonal behaviors of ecological importance: scatter‐hoarding and retrieval. We describe agouti evolution, ecology, and physiology as well as neuro‐anatomical and neurophysiological studies, which have set the foundation for future neuroscience in natura. We suggest agoutis have the potential to be a groundbreaking model for wild neuroscience.

Effects of 4G Long-Term Evolution Electromagnetic Fields on Thyroid Hormone Dysfunction and Behavioral Changes in Adolescent Male Mice.

Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) can penetrate tissues and potentially influence endocrine and brain development. Despite increased mobile phone use among children and adolescents, the long-term effects of RF-EMF exposure on brain and endocrine development remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of long-term evolution band (LTE) EMF exposure on thyroid hormone levels, crucial for metabolism, growth, and development. Four-week-old male mice (C57BL/6) were exposed to LTE EMF (whole-body average specific absorption rate [SAR] 4 W/kg) or a positive control (lead; Pb, 300 ppm in drinking water) for 4 weeks. Subsequently, the mice underwent behavioral tests including open field, marble burying, and nest building. Blood pituitary and thyroid hormone levels, and thyroid hormone-regulating genes within the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis were analyzed. LTE exposure increased T3 levels, while Pb exposure elevated T3 and T4 and decreased ACTH levels. The LTE EMF group showed no gene expression alterations in the thyroid and pituitary glands, but hypothalamic Dio2 and Dio3 expressions were significantly reduced compared to that in the sham-exposed group. Pb exposure altered the hypothalamic mRNA levels of Oatp1c1 and Trh, pituitary mRNA of Trhr, and Tpo and Tg expression in the thyroid. In conclusion, LTE EMF exposure altered hypothalamic Dio2 and Dio3 expression, potentially impacting the HPT axis function. Further research is needed to explore RF-EMF's impacts on the endocrine system.

Characterization of Apathy-Like Behaviors in Mouse Models of Down Syndrome.

Apathy is a state of decreased interest, lack of initiative, reduced goal-directed activity and blunted emotional responses. Apathy is one of the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is also relatively omnipresent in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Little is known about the apathy-like behaviors in rodent models of AD and DS. This study aimed to characterize apathy-like behaviors with aging in two established DS mouse models: Ts65Dn and Dp16. A battery of behavioral tests including nestlet shredding, marble burying, nest building, and burrowing were performed to examine apathy-like behaviors. Individual z-scores for each mouse for each test, and a composite z-score of apathy-like behavior were analyzed for all mice from these behavioral tests. Analysis of individual test results and composite z-score revealed significant apathy-like behaviors in Ts65Dn mice compared to WT controls. In contrast, Dp16 mice did not exhibit significant apathy-like behaviors. Our study is the first to characterize apathy-like behaviors in mouse models of DS with aging and highlights the difference between Ts65Dn and Dp16 DS model mice regarding apathy-like manifestations with aging.

The fecundity costs of building domed nests in birds.

Animal nests provide a beneficial environment for offspring development and as such contribute to fitness. Gathering and transporting materials to construct nests is energetically costly, but the life history trade-offs associated with the types of nests built are largely unknown. Who contributes to building the nest could also mediate these trade-offs, as building a nest as a couple is expected to be less costly per individual than building alone. Using a comparative analysis on 227 songbird species globally, we found a fecundity cost associated with the type of nest a species builds. Species that build domed nests produce fewer broods per year than species building cups or platforms. Dome nesting species also have larger clutch sizes than open nesting species, but only when the nest is built by a couple and not when females build nests alone. This suggests that building domed nests represents a trade-off with investment in young, especially when females are solely responsible for nest building. More broadly, our results could explain macroevolutionary patterns, such as the recent finding that females, building on their own, more often build open cup rather than domed nests.

The effect of experimental warming on reproductive performance and parental care in the burying beetle Nicrophorus nepalensis.

Rising temperatures can adversely affect parental care and reproductive performance across a range of taxa. However, the warming impact is contingent upon understanding how temperature affects the spectrum of parental behaviours and their interplay. Here, we assessed how temperature affects parental care and reproductive success in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus nepalensis, which exhibits complex parental care behaviours. We exposed breeding pairs of N. nepalensis, to three temperature regimes (18°C, 20°C and 22°C) and assessed changes in parental care, and the subsequent development and growth of their offspring. Our findings show that 22°C disrupts carcass nest building by the parents and results in smaller clutches. Moreover, no eggs successfully hatched in the 22°C treatment. A milder increase to 20°C did not affect the hatching rate but resulted in smaller broods and lighter offspring, even when considering brood size, suggesting a change in post-hatching care quality. Our research suggests that warming may weakly affect parental care but has strong detrimental effects on offspring performance. These findings highlight the necessity of investigating the effect of ambient temperature across a diversity of traits and behaviours and across a range of life-history stages to fully assess species vulnerability in the face of future climate change.

Platycodin D and voluntary running synergistically ameliorate memory deficits in 5 × FAD mice via mediating neuromodulation and neuroinflammation.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, and currently, no effective treatments are available to reverse or halt its progression in clinical practice. Although a plethora of studies have highlighted the benefits of physical exercise in combating AD, elder individuals often have limited exercise capacity. Therefore, mild physical exercise and nutritional interventions represent potential strategies for preventing and mitigating neurodegenerative diseases. Our research, along with other studies, have demonstrated that platycodin D (PD) or its metabolite, platycodigenin, derived from the medicinal plant Platycodon grandiflorus, exerts neuroprotective effects against amyloid β (Aβ)-induced neuroinflammation. However, the combined effects of PD and physical exercise on alleviating AD have yet to be explored. The current study aimed to investigate whether combined therapy could synergistically ameliorate memory deficits and AD pathology in 5 × FAD mice. Five-month-old 5 × FAD mice were randomly assigned to four groups, and received either PD (5 mg/kg/day, p.o.), voluntary running, or a combination of both for 47 days. Nest building test, locomotion test, and Morris water maze test were used to evaluate the cognitive function. Immunohistochemical and ELISA analysis was performed to determine Aβ build-up, microglia and astrocytes hyperactivation, and survival neurons in the hippocampus and perirhinal cortex. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis was used to assess the polarization of microglia and astrocytes. HPLC analysis was performed to measure monoamine neurotransmitters in the hippocampus. The combination of PD and voluntary running synergistically restored nest-building behavior, alleviated recognition and spatial memory deficits, and showed superior effects compared to monotherapy. In addition, the PD and voluntary running combination reduced Aβ build-up, decreased hyperactivation of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampus and perirhinal cortex, promoted the polarization of inflammatory M1 microglia and reactive astrocytes toward beneficial phenotypes, and lowered systemic circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines while increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines in 5 × FAD mice. Furthermore, combined therapy effectively protected neurons and increased levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in the hippocampus of 5 × FAD mice. In conclusion, the combination of PD and voluntary running holds great potential as a treatment for AD, offering promise for delaying onset or progression of AD.

Classification of sex-dependent specific behaviours by tri-axial acceleration in the tegu lizard Salvator merianae

Validated patterns of behaviour detected by tri-axial acceleration in the laboratory can be used for remote measurements of free-living animals. The tegu lizard naturally occupies diverse biomes in South America and presents ecological threats in regions where it was artificially introduced. We aimed to validate the use of tri-axial acceleration to distinguish among behaviours of male and female tegus in captivity by comparing observed behaviours to recorded acceleration data. Adult animals were externally fitted with an accelerometer fixed between their scapulae to quantify anteroposterior, lateral, and dorsoventral acceleration. Video recordings of cameras positioned on the walls of the animal-holding arena documented behaviours. Behaviour patterns, such as resting, walking, and eating, were identified for both sexes, and nest building in females and courtship and copulation in males. Random Forest algorithm was used to validate the behaviour patterns from accelerometry data based on two models, random split (70 % training-30 % validation; RS) and leave-one-out (divided by individual; LOO). Although LOO showed lower accuracies than RS for all the acceleration data, nest building in females and copulation in males had high accuracies in both models. In contrast, the lowest accuracies for walking and eating indicates they may involve more inconsistent movement patterns. Comparing the results from RS and LOO, female behaviours may be more identifiable in the field using triaxial accelerometry than males. The identification of behaviours by accelerometry, especially related to reproduction, without the necessity for direct observation of the tegus would be helpful for conservation purposes, for both natural and invasive populations.

Abstract 23: Cognitive impairment during chronic i.c.v. angiotensin II is associated with increased tau phosphorylation in the cortex and hippocampus

Cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, are recognized as important contributors to cognitive impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects of hypertension on the brain remain to be fully established. Angiotensin II (Ang II) has known detrimental effects on the brain, including cerebrovascular damage, sympathetic activation, and neuroinflammation. Ang II activates neuronal glycogen synthase 3b (GSK-3b), a major kinase involved in the phosphorylation of the microtubule associated protein tau. Hyperphosphorylated tau and the subsequent formation of neurofibrillary tangles are a hallmark of AD and related dementias (tauopathies). Here, we tested the central hypothesis that brain Ang II leads to cognitive impairment by increasing tau hyperphosphorylation. 3-month old male C57BL6 mice were implanted with a s.c. osmotic minipump connected to an i.c.v. cannula delivering low dose Ang II (6ng/hr) or saline for 4 weeks. Blood pressure was monitored twice weekly using tail-cuff plethysmography. During the 4 th week of infusion, mice underwent a battery of neurobehavioral testing assessing various cognitive domains including novel object recognition (recognition and short-term memory), Y-maze (spatial working memory), Barnes maze (spatial learning and long-term memory), and hippocampal/executive function (nest building). Tau phosphorylation was assessed in the cortex and hippocampus by Western blotting. Systolic blood pressure increased slightly by week 3 prior to start of behavioral tests (control: 115.3 ± 4.1 mmHg vs Ang II: 130.8 ± 4.7; n=10). We did not observe significant differences during novel object recognition (discrimination index: control: 0.49 ± 0.08 vs Ang II: 0.35 ± 0.23; n=5) or Y-maze (spontaneous alternations: control: 62.4 ± 6.1% vs Ang II: 59.0 ± 4.3%). Mice receiving i.c.v. Ang II had significantly delayed latency to find the escape hole during the Barnes maze learning trials (Treatment p=0.0006, Time p=0.0039, interaction: p=0.3028; two-way repeated measures ANOVA). The impairment in spatial learning was associated with an increase in tau phosphorylation in the cortex assessed by AT8 antibody. Ongoing studies are investigating whether this increase is mediated by activation of neuronal GSK-3b. We conclude that Ang II-mediated hyperphosphorylation of tau is a potential novel molecular mechanism driving the detrimental effects of hypertension on cognitive health.

Impact of Coffee Intake on Measures of Wellbeing in Mice.

Coffee intake is increasingly recognized as a life-style factor associated with the preservation of health, but there is still a debate on the relative effects of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. We now tested how the regular drinking of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee for 3 weeks impacted on the behavior of male and female adult mice. Males drinking caffeinated coffee displayed statistically significant lower weight gain, increased sensorimotor coordination, greater motivation in the splash test, more struggling in the forced swimming test, faster onset of nest building, more marble burying and greater sociability. Females drinking caffeinated coffee displayed statistically significant increased hierarchy fighting, greater self-care and motivation in the splash test and faster onset of nest building. A post-hoc two-way ANOVA revealed sex-differences in the effects of caffeinated coffee (p values for interaction between the effect of caffeinated coffee and sex) on the hierarchy in the tube test (p = 0.044; dominance), in the time socializing (p = 0.044) and in the latency to grooming (p = 0.048; selfcare), but not in the marble burying test (p = 0.089). Intake of decaffeinated coffee was devoid of effects in males and females. Since caffeine targets adenosine receptors, we verified that caffeinated but not decaffeinated coffee intake increased the density of adenosine A1 receptors (A1R) and increased A1R-mediated tonic inhibition of synaptic transmission in the dorsolateral striatum and ventral but not dorsal hippocampus, the effects being more evident in the ventral hippocampus of females and striatum of males. In contrast, caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee both ameliorated the antioxidant status in the frontal cortex. It is concluded that caffeinated coffee increases A1R-mediated inhibition in mood-related areas bolstering wellbeing of both males and females, with increased sociability in males and hierarchy struggling and self-care in females.

Refining pain management in mice by comparing multimodal analgesia and NSAID monotherapy for neurosurgical procedures

While neurosurgical interventions are frequently used in laboratory mice, refinement efforts to optimize analgesic management based on multimodal approaches appear to be rather limited. Therefore, we compared the efficacy and tolerability of combinations of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug carprofen, a sustained-release formulation of the opioid buprenorphine, and the local anesthetic bupivacaine with carprofen monotherapy. Female and male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to isoflurane anesthesia and an intracranial electrode implant procedure. Given the multidimensional nature of postsurgical pain and distress, various physiological, behavioral, and biochemical parameters were applied for their assessment. The analysis revealed alterations in Neuro scores, home cage locomotion, body weight, nest building, mouse grimace scales, and fecal corticosterone metabolites. A composite measure scheme allowed the allocation of individual mice to severity classes. The comparison between groups failed to indicate the superiority of multimodal regimens over high-dose NSAID monotherapy. In conclusion, our findings confirmed the informative value of various parameters for assessment of pain and distress following neurosurgical procedures in mice. While all drug regimens were well tolerated in control mice, our data suggest that the total drug load should be carefully considered for perioperative management. Future studies would be of interest to assess potential synergies of drug combinations with lower doses of carprofen.

Impact of sensory neuropeptide deficiency on behavioral patterns and gait in a murine surgical osteoarthritis model.

Substance P (SP) and a calcitonin-related gene alpha (αCGRP-/-) are implicated in musculoskeletal pain perception and were shown to have different effects on the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). However, it has not been investigated, whether deficiency for SP or αCGRP impacts pain-related behavior and well-being as well as gait during development of experimental OA. We induced OA in the right knee of wild-type (WT) mice and mice either deficient for SP (tachykinin 1, Tac-1) or αCGRP (male, n = 8 per genotype) by destabilizing the medial meniscus (DMM). We monitored body weight and food and water intake as indicators of wellbeing, determined nest building and composite pain score, and performed CatWalk gait analysis over 12 weeks. Cartilage degeneration was determined by OARSI scoring. The 12-week post-DMM, cartilage degradation in the medial compartment was significantly reduced in Tac1-/- mice compared to the WT and to αCGRP-/- mice, coinciding with highest unloading of the operated limb in Tac1-/-. Behavioral and gait analysis revealed only minor differences between the genotypes. Paw print area was most prominently reduced in Tac1-/- over the observation period; at 12 weeks, we found a significant reduction in normalized print area in Tac1-/- compared to presurgery and to the WT at the same time-point. Calculated weight bearing was significantly reduced only in Tac1-/-. Overall, we observed minor impact of DMM on gait and behavior in the present study. The reduced cartilage damage in the absence of SP might be in part due to reduced loading, however, the mechanism is not clear yet.

Reproductive Behavior and Parental Role of Giant Gourami (<i>Osphronemus goramy</i> Lacepède, 1801)

The giant gourami (Osphronemus goramy Lacepede, 1801), a popular aquaculture species in Southeast Asia, exhibits unique cooperative biparental care behaviour. To support captive breeding efforts, this study aimed to visually document the reproductive activity of giant gourami, elucidate each stage in detail, and provide insights into the distinct parenting roles of males and females. Underwater cameras were used to observe a breeding pair of gourami in a pond for five days, conducted three times with different pairs during different spawning periods. The male and female contributions to nest building were quantitatively analysed using the T-test, while their parental care involvement was qualitatively assessed and statistically analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The results revealed three main phases of giant gourami reproduction: pre-spawning (including adaptation, nest building, and courtship), spawning and fertilisation, and post-spawning with parental care. Our observation confirmed the biparental tendency, with males being more involved in pre-spawning activities and females taking on a prominent role in post-spawning care. In conclusion, males focused on mating preparations and courtship, while females invested more in parental care.

Examining the impact of multimodal task design on English oral communicative competence in fourth-grade content-language integrated social studies: A quasi-experimental study

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is increasingly adopted globally, including in Taiwan’s educational initiatives, yet challenges remain in implementing effective CLIL practices, such as pedagogy and curriculum design. This study investigated the effectiveness of multimodal task designs, combining hands-on learning with poster presentations, in enhancing oral communicative competence within CLIL contexts. Employing a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design with a comparative case study framework, the study assessed English oral communicative competence in four intact fourth-grade Taiwanese CLIL Social Studies classes. The hands-on learning group (EG, n = 40) engaged in activities like Chinese Dumpling Making, Bird’s Nest Building, and Succulent Pot Designing, while the non-hands-on learning group (CG, n = 34) used traditional worksheets on the same topics. Both groups proceeded to poster presentations within their multimodal task design, where students’ oral communicative competence was assessed using rubrics developed based on Coyle’s 4Cs dimensions, focusing on Content, Communication, and Cognition. Additionally, students’ cultural knowledge related to the hands-on topics was evaluated through written tests. To complement the quantitative data, qualitative data from self-reported reflections and video recordings documenting interventions were collected for the assessment of oral communicative competence within a CLIL framework. Results demonstrate that integrating hands-on activities significantly enhanced procedural content, communication (i.e., sentence complexity, pronunciation accuracy for target vocabulary, presentation fluency), and cognitive abilities, confirming the efficacy of multimodal learning approaches in fostering linguistic and cognitive engagement. Post-test comparisons show the EG’s superiority in cultural knowledge acquisition across all three hands-on topics. Student reflections endorsed the enrichment of learning experiences through multimodal task design. Video analysis of both groups’ interventions revealed that despite significant engagement and autonomy, EG students commonly utilized general English rather than target vocabulary, a pattern similar to that observed in the CG. These findings highlight the potential of diverse modalities in CLIL to enhance English content learning and oral skills, shaping future pedagogy and language strategies in Taiwan. The study also emphasizes the role of embodied learning, the interplay between physical actions and cognitive processes, to facilitate deeper understanding and engagement with subject matter within CLIL settings.

Use of Social Bees and Solitary Bees as Bioindicators of Environmental Contamination

With an emphasis on the biology of bee nesting, their ecological functions, and their efficacy in determining heavy metal pollution, this review paper summarises current research on bees as bioindicators of environmental contamination. Review brought attention to the solitary nesting behaviours of species such as Epanthidium tigrinum and Megachile cephalotes, highlighting their preference for particular materials for their nests as well as their function as pollinators. It was investigated how resin serves many purposes in defense, disease resistance, and nest building, highlighting its ecological value. One paper talked about the abilities of wasps and bees, demonstrating how they interact with one another inside the nests and how sensitive they are to changes in their surroundings. Honeybees have been found to be useful bioindicators for pesticides and heavy metals because they incorporate toxins from the air, soil, and water into their products. Additionally, bee pollen has shown to be a trustworthy marker of pesticide residues, indicating the degree of local pollution. Furthermore, research examining the levels of heavy metals in bee products across different areas highlighted the potential of honey to serve as a biomonitor for pollution in the environment. One of the reviewed studies specifically measured heavy metal concentrations in pollen and Osmia bicornis L. bees across different habitats, demonstrating how variations in habitat proximity to pollution sources affect contamination levels, thereby underscoring the utility of solitary bees as effective bioindicators. The precise methods for assembling trap nests and gathering samples offered useful information for researching community dynamics and trophic relationships. Overall, this review summarises research showing that social bees and solitary bees are important for assessing the health of ecosystems and provide useful tools for environmental monitoring.

The evolution of exceptional diversity in parental care and fertilization modes in ray-finned fishes.

Among vertebrates, ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) display the highest diversity in parental care, and their diversification has been hypothesized to be related to phylogenetic changes in fertilization modes. Using the most comprehensive, sex-specific data from 7,600 species of 62 extant orders of ray-finned fishes, we inferred ancestral states and transitions among care types and caring episodes (i.e., the stage of offspring development). Our work has uncovered 3 novel findings. First, transitions among different care types (i.e., male-only care, female-only care, biparental care, and no care) are common, and the frequencies of these transitions show unusually diverse patterns concerning fertilization modes (external, or internal via oviduct, mouth, or brood pouch). Second, both oviduct and mouth fertilization are selected for female-biased care, whereas fertilization in a brood pouch is selected for male-biased care. Importantly, internal fertilization without parental care is extremely unstable phylogenetically. Third, we show that egg care in both sexes is associated with nest building (which is male-biased) and fry care (which is female-biased). Taken together, the aquatic environment, which supports considerable flexibility in care, facilitated the diversification of parenting behavior, creating the evolutionary bases for more comprehensive parenting to protect offspring in semiterrestrial or terrestrial environments.

Brain Gene Regulatory Networks Coordinate Nest Construction in Birds.

Nest building is a vital behavior exhibited during breeding in birds, and is possibly induced by environmental and social cues. Although such behavioral plasticity has been hypothesized to be controlled by adult neuronal plasticity, empirical evidence, especially at the neurogenomic level, remains limited. Here, we aim to uncover the gene regulatory networks that govern avian nest construction and examine whether they are associated with circuit rewiring. We designed an experiment to dissect this complex behavior into components in response to pair bonding and nest material acquisition by manipulating the presence of mates and nest materials in 30 pairs of zebra finches. Whole-transcriptome analysis of 300 samples from five brain regions linked to avian nesting behaviors revealed nesting-associated gene expression enriched with neural rewiring functions, including neurogenesis and neuron projection. The enriched expression was observed in the motor/sensorimotor and social behavior networks of female finches, and in the dopaminergic reward system of males. Female birds exhibited predominant neurotranscriptomic changes to initiate the nesting stage, while males showed major changes after entering this stage, underscoring sex-specific roles in nesting behavior. Notably, major neurotranscriptomic changes occurred during pair bonding, with minor changes during nest material acquisition, emphasizing social interactions in nest construction. We also revealed gene expression associated with reproductive behaviors and tactile sensing for nesting behavior. This study presents novel neurogenomic evidence supporting the hypothesis of adult neural plasticity underlying avian nest-construction behavior. By uncovering the genetic toolkits involved, we offer novel insights into the evolution of animals' innate ability to construct nests.

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In this study, we provide an analytical comparison combined with morphological characteristic of eggs and newly hatched precocial chicks of three lapwing species, Red–owattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus (Boddaert, 1783), Spur-winged Lapwing V. spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758), and White-tailed Lapwing V. leucurus (Lichtenstein, 1823) that breed in Al-Malih Wetland in Babylon Province, Middle of Iraq. Occupied nests were located during the breeding season (March–June 2023), breeding events (e.g., adult courtship, marking of the breeding territories, nest-site selection, nest building, and egg incubation) were carefully observed. A total of 48 eggs from a total of 12 lapwing nests (4 eggs for each nest, 4 nests for each species) were cautiously examined and measured. Lapwing chicks and eggs show many morphological differences. Morphometrical data were tested using ANOVA, calculating the Mean, standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variation (CV). The mean and SD for egg length were 46.25±0.68 mm for V. indicus, 42.25±0.96 mm for V. spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758), and 42.28±0.67 mm for V. leucurus. The egg breadth mean and SD were 33.34±0.84 mm for V. indicus, 31.43±0.55 mm for V. spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758), and 31.42±0.67 mm for V. leucurus. The egg weight Mean and SD were 21.39±0.91 gm for V. indicus, 16.51±0.73 gm for V. spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758), and15.87±0.50 gm for V. leucurus. The low value of CV (≤5%) may indicate a close hereditary clan in the birds that belong to the same genus. In addition, the results indicate that there are considerable differences in the morphometrical measurement of the three species of Vanellus. Eggs, as all of these variables have ≤5% CV. Our preliminary results, which were obtained for the first time, may contribute to the conservation efforts of these wetlands-dwelling birds in Iraq.

Biomechanical properties of non-flight vibrations produced by bees.

Bees use thoracic vibrations produced by their indirect flight muscles for powering wingbeats in flight, but also during mating, pollination, defence and nest building. Previous work on non-flight vibrations has mostly focused on acoustic (airborne vibrations) and spectral properties (frequency domain). However, mechanical properties such as the vibration's acceleration amplitude are important in some behaviours, e.g. during buzz pollination, where higher amplitude vibrations remove more pollen from flowers. Bee vibrations have been studied in only a handful of species and we know very little about how they vary among species. In this study, we conducted the largest survey to date of the biomechanical properties of non-flight bee buzzes. We focused on defence buzzes as they can be induced experimentally and provide a common currency to compare among taxa. We analysed 15,000 buzzes produced by 306 individuals in 65 species and six families from Mexico, Scotland and Australia. We found a strong association between body size and the acceleration amplitude of bee buzzes. Comparison of genera that buzz-pollinate and those that do not suggests that buzz-pollinating bees produce vibrations with higher acceleration amplitude. We found no relationship between bee size and the fundamental frequency of defence buzzes. Although our results suggest that body size is a major determinant of the amplitude of non-flight vibrations, we also observed considerable variation in vibration properties among bees of equivalent size and even within individuals. Both morphology and behaviour thus affect the biomechanical properties of non-flight buzzes.

Using closed-circuit infrared camera to assess biparental provisioning behaviour and foraging pattern of house-farmed swiftlets (Aerodramus sp.)

Abstract The house-farmed edible-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus sp.) is monogamous, produces nests from hardened saliva, and uses echolocation to navigate in the darkness. Most previous studies have focused on swiftlet nest building and incubation behaviour, but nestling provisioning behaviour, crucial for the survival of offspring during the breeding season, remains unclear. This study examined the nestling provisioning behaviour of house-farmed swiftlets at a swiftlet house farm in central Peninsular Malaysia. Complete focal video footage of the provisioning phase of swiftlets was analysed in detail. The overall feeding period decreased as the chick grew older. The parents alternately visited their nest 6-14 times a day from dawn to dusk to feed the nestling. The peak of this activity was from 07:00 to 08:00 and between 19:00 and 20:00. Nestling provisioning behaviour differed between pairs. The egg-laying interval of parents with two chicks was longer and affected the development of the second chick since the first chick more successfully competed for food and grew larger in size. Most second chicks with a smaller body size did not survive, because of being either purposely or unintentionally eliminated by the parents or sibling. The smaller-sized second chicks that survived took a longer time to fledge than the first chick; therefore, parents had to increase their foraging effort to ensure the survival of their chick until fledging. These behaviours may be influenced by physiological factors, such as age, experience, individual fitness, and abiotic factors, such as weather and food resources; therefore, different parental strategies may be established during the nestling provisioning phase.