July 20 () –
The results of a new study investigating how birds experience neophobiathat is, the fear of new things, could play a vital role in helping save critically endangered species.
The research, published in the journal ‘Royal Society Open Science’has studied the behavior of a rare bird called the Bali Starling (‘Leucopsar rothschildi’), of which there are less than 50 specimens in the wild.
Directed by Dr. Rachael Miller, from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), in the United Kingdom, together with colleagues from the University of Cambridge and the National University of Singaporethe study examined how 22 captive Balinese starlings responded to the presence of new objects and types of food, as well as how well they tackled simple problem-solving tasks.
The researchers believe that collecting this kind of behavioral data can help develop new conservation strategies. Behavioral flexibility is crucial to an individual’s adaptability and survival, so pre-release training and identification of specific birds for release could aid in the successful reintroduction of endangered species such as the Bali starling, in nature.
The study was carried out over a six-week period at three UK zoological collections – Waddesdon Manor (National Trust/Rothschild Foundation), Cotswolds Wildlife Park and Gardens and Birdworld – and the researchers found that, in general, the birds took more on touching familiar foods when there was a new item.
Age was a key factor in the behavior shown, since adult birds were found to be more neophobic than young. The researchers also found that birds that quickly touched familiar food that was placed next to a new object were also the fastest at solving problem-solving tasks.
This new study is part of a larger project led by Dr Miller, Professor of Animal Behavior at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), which aims to combine research on bird cognition and behavior with conservation, to help to threatened species.
“Neophobia can be useful in that it can help birds avoid unknown dangersbut it can also affect their adaptation to new environments, for example, through a greater reluctance to approach new foods,” he says.
As he explains, “understand behavioral flexibility, specifically how species and individuals within them respond to novelties and new problems, is vital for conservation, especially as the world is becoming more urbanized. Many species need to adapt to human-made environmental changes, and how an animal responds to novelty can predict post-release outcomes during reintroductions,” he adds.
“We selected the Bali starling for this study specifically because it is on the brink of extinction.with fewer than 50 adults in the wild in Indonesia, but there is a captive breeding program for nearly 1,000 birds in zoos around the world. As part of their active conservation, it is necessary to continuously release birds to try to increase the small wild population.“.
Miller notes that data on the behavioral flexibility of these birds is now available, which can help inform which birds may be best suited for reintroduction. “Our study has already identified that the release of juvenile Bali starlings may potentially be more successful than the release of adult birds, at least in terms of adaptability to new environments.“, he stresses.
He adds, “The data may also help develop pre-release training, where captive birds can learn to heighten fear responses to traps or people, if they were to be introduced to poaching areas, or decrease neophobia through exposure to safe and unknown food sources in resource-poor areas. We believe the overall project findings will be able to help not only the Bali Starling, but hopefully many other endangered species.“, he concludes.
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