Final - Bird Behaviour Flashcards
Natural history of birds
Birds include over 10,000 species
- span all continents and a variety of habitats
- warm-blooded with high metabolic rats
- may be carnivores, omnivores or herbivores; adaptations in their anatomy, behaviour, and cognitive abilities
First birds were kept more than 2,000 years ago
As pets, birds have been popular in many different cultures and countries
What are crows an example of? What crow do we refer to in Canada?
- A large passerine (perching bird) related to the larger Raven, as well as Rooks and Jays
- In Canada, we usually refer to the American Crow; breed from Newfoundland to Manitoba and migrate south in the winter
What is a group of crows called?
A flock or a murder
Why study crows?
Crows are among the most intelligent of birds (teach us about cognitive abilities and sentience)
- can count to 3 or 4
- good at solving puzzles
- good memories
- employ a diverse and behaviourally complex range of vocalizations
- can mimic the human voice or sounds made by other birds
- quickly learn to associate various noises and symbols with food
4 components of crow diet
- Omnivorous, eating almost anything (over 600 different items)
-1/3 of annual diet is animal matter - Scavengers
- tend to frequent sites inhabited by humans in order to feed on household waste
- crows actively hunt and occasionally co-operate with other crows to make kills - Adept at pirating
- will harass birds of prey or even species such as foxes and their kills - Post a sentinel while feeding
Crow nesting
- Begin nesting in early spring (Fed to May)
- The bulky stick nest is usually placed in a tall tree; cliff ledges, old buildings and pylons may be used; occasionally placed near the ground
- 4-6 brown-speckled blue or greenish eggs are incubated for 17-19 days by the female alone, who is fed by the male
- the young fledge after 32-36 days
Crow social systems
- social groups = extended family
- assist the breeding pair in feeding new chicks, cleaning the nest and defending the territories from predators and intruders
- more complex social structure = greater cognitive abilities
- have to be able to calculate interactions in more complex social organizations (Theory of Mind)
Crow life span
- Few crows in the wild live more than 4-6 years; some have lived to 14 years in the wild and over 20 years in captivity
- Adult crows have few predators; sometimes larger hawks, owls, and canines
- Brood losses result from: predation by raccoons, great-horned owls, starvation and adverse weather
Crow calls
Has a guttural, slightly vibrant, deep croaked “kraaa”
How long do crows stay with parents?
For about 5 YEARS
- Cognitive development benefit from this? Social learning?
- Ear a variety of food items and have to learn to work with a variety of foods by 4 months
Caching
- Agile thinking when storing food (hiding it) called food caching
- They will watch whether others are watching and will move it if they suspect they have been seen
- Will fake cache
- At 5 months crows can cache (end of adolescence) but few make it beyond 6 months of age due to city dangers
3 examples of learning in crows
- Crow funerals
- sit in trees for a few minutes at site of death - Learn from parents
- able to pass on knowledge from one generation to the next (and retain that knowledge for months)
- can distinguish btw faces and how their parents reacted - Play is an intelligent behaviour
- helps animals encounter unexpected things
- cannonball rolls and loop-d-loops to evade hawks, attract mates, or display play
Parrots
Psittacines (true parrots)
- usually live in warm, tropical regions
- curved bill, upright stance, clawed feet
What colour are most parrots?
Green with other bright colours
- come species are multi-coloured
- crest used for display and then retracted
Most parrots show little or no sexual dimorphism, what is the exception?
The Eclectus parrot
What parrot species are commonly kept as pets?
Macaws, amazons, cockatoos, african greys, lovebirds, cockatiels, budgies/parakeets, and eclectus
How do species of parrots vary behaviourally?
Species vary in their temperament, noise level, talking ability, cuddliness with people, and care needs
- how a parrot has been raised often greatly affects its personality
Why do parrot make excellent companion animlas? What’s a caveat to that?
- Form close, affectionate bonds with their owners
- However, require an enormous amount of attention, care and intellectual stimulation to thrive
What are parrots akin to?
A 3 year old child
Life span of cockatoos, amazons, and macaws vs small parrots (lovebirds and budgies)
Cockatoos, amazons, macaws: 80-100yrs
Small parrots: 15-20yrs
Where do most species of parrots spend most of their time?
Perched or climbing in tree canopies
- Use their bills for climbing by gripping or hooking on branches and other supports
On the ground, what kind of gait do parrots walk with?
a rolling gait
How are parrots found in the wild?
Live in flocks and will fly many hours per day in the wild
How do parrots spend most of their day?
Grooming themselves and others, as well as foraging for food
*if disheveled, they are likely sick
What is a natural part of food gathering behaviour for parrots?
Destruction of leaves and fruit
What are some behaviour characteristics of parrots?
- Highly visual
- communicate through eye contact and body language
- “evil eye” for a few seconds is a quick and effective way to communicate disapproval - Highly empathetic
- social referencing; their behaviour and mod may reflect the energy and mood of their owners - Prey species with instinctive fears of and responses of prey animals
- Highly social
- in the wild, they stay in touch using contact calls - Wild animals
- even if hand-raised, they are not domesticated, they are tame
Parrot diet
- Mainly consists of seeds nuts, fruits, buds, nectar, pollen, and other plant materials
- Some will eat insects
- To a lesser degree, some will eat small prey animals
- Parrots are seed predators rather than seed dispersers; will destroy seed pod to get the “meat”
Why did parrots evolve to have a large and powerful bill?
Adaptation to opening and consuming seeds
- Seeds often have poisons to protect them, so the parrot is careful to remove the seed coat
- Some species of parrot will also consume clay to absorb toxic compounds from the gut
Parrot Morphology
Upper mandible is prominent, curves downward and comes to a point
- Bill is not fused to the skull; moves independently and contributes to the increased biting pressure these birds are able to exert
Seed eating parrots have a strong tongue which helps to manipulate seeds or position nuts in the bill so the mandibles can apply cracking force
Head is large, eyes positioned sideways
- limits binocular vision
- enhances peripheral vision
Parrot habitat and nesting
Almost all parrots nest in tree holes (or nest boxes in captivity)
- Called cavity nesters
Most come from the Australasian and South American regions
While a few parrot species are wholly sedentary or fully migratory, the majority fall somewhere between the two
- regional movements aren’t fully understood
- some species adopt an entirely nomadic lifestyle
Parrot Breeding
With few exception, parrots are monogamous breeders
- Nest in cavities and hold no territories other than their nesting sites
- The pair bonds of parrots and cockatoos are strong. Will remain close during the non-breeding season, even if they join a larger flock
What is pair bonding in parrots and cockatoos preceded by?
Courtship displays
- Male will take slow, deliberate steps known as a “parade” or “stately walk”
- Will also show the “eye blaze” where the pupil of the eye constricts to reveal the edge of the iris
What is used by a pair of parrots or cockatoos to maintain their bond?
Allopreening
Parrot young
- Lay white eggs from which emerge altricial (helpless) young; lack feather or have sparse white down
- Young will spend 3 wks to 4 months in the nest, depending on the species; may receive parental care for additional months
Is learning in early life important for all parrots?
YES! Much of this is social learning
How are social interactions practiced by young parrots?
With siblings
How do young parrots learn foraging behaviour?
From parents
How does play form a large part of learning in parrots?
- Can be solitary, related to motor skills, or social
- May engage in play fights or practice predator evasion
- An absence of stimuli can slow the development of young birds; may show stereotypic behaviours or harmful behaviours; good enviro enrichment can help keep parrots stimulated
Intelligence and learning in parrots
- Along with crows, ravens and jays, parrots are considered the most intelligent of birds
- The brain-to-body ratio in psittacines and corvines is comparable to that of higher primates
- Small cerebral cortex; however, birds use the medio-rostral neostriatum/hyperstriatum ventrale as their seat of intelligence
- The lower part of the avian brain is functionally similar to that of humans; able to use tools and solve puzzles
Parrots do not have vocal cords, so how is sound accomplished?
Sound is accomplished by expelling air across the mouth of the bifurcated trachea
- Different sounds are produced by changing the depth and shape of the trachea
Smart Kea
- Nestor notabilis
- Pop: 1000 - 5000
- Conservation status: nationally endangered
- Found in alpine enviros of the South Island of New Zealand
- Kea grow up to 50cm long and although mostly vegetarian, also enjoy grubs and insects
- In danger due to habitat destruction, stoats and possums eating eggs, nests on ground
- Have been able to solve complex puzzle boxes like crows
- Known for their inquisitive nature BUT this can get them into trouble
