Non‐Redundant Social Information Use in Avian Flocks with Multisensory Stimuli

Randolet, Jacquelyn; Lucas, Jeffrey R.; Fernández‐Juricic, Esteban

doi:10.1111/eth.12212

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Our model conspecifics were made of skins from European starlings that had previously died due to health reasons and were frozen to keep them intact (see [ 20 ] for methods). Previous studies have shown that birds perceive models as live animals [ 36 , 37 ]. Specifically, starlings [ 37 ] perceive stuffed model of the same species as conspecifics and taxidermy mounts of raptors have been shown to elicit their antipredator behaviors [ 38 – 41 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We then calculated the proportion of fixations where the fovea was on the stimulus (or the region where the stimulus would be for the stimulus absent treatment) for each trail, and also marked whether it was with the left or the right fovea (high acuity vision; area of the visual field where the center of acute vision projected into the visual field), or with the non-foveal region (low acuity vision; any other area of the visual field that the fovea did not project into). We determined the chance levels of the fovea being on the stimulus by measuring how often the fovea was on the region that the stimulus (cat, hawk, conspecific) would be in the stimulus absent treatment (following [ 30 , 36 ]). We chose this approach, as an alternative to assuming a uniform or random a priori distribution of fixation points, because it accounts for differences in the size of our stimuli as well as any potential bias of the bird looking into a particular region of the enclosure.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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European starlings use their acute vision to check on feline predators but not on conspecifics

Butler

Fernández‐Juricic

2018

PLoS ONE

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Head movements allow birds with laterally placed eyes to move their centers of acute vision around and align them with objects of interest. Consequently, head movements have been used as indicator of fixation behavior (where gaze is maintained). However, studies on head movement behavior have not elucidated the degree to which birds use high-acuity or low-acuity vision. We studied how European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) used high-acuity vision in the early stages of visual exploration of a stuffed cat (common terrestrial predator), a taxidermy Cooper’s hawk (common aerial predator), and a stuffed study skin of a conspecific. We found that starlings tended to use their high acuity vision when looking at predators, particularly, the cat was above chance levels. However, when they viewed a conspecific, they used high acuity vision as expected by chance. We did not observe a preference for the left or right center of acute vision. Our findings suggest that starlings exposed to a predator (particularly cats) may employ selective attention by using high-acuity vision to obtain quickly detailed information useful for a potential escape, but exposed to a social context may use divided attention by allocating similar levels high- and low-quality vision to monitor both conspecifics and the rest of the environment.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

European starlings use their acute vision to check on feline predators but not on conspecifics

Butler

Fernández‐Juricic

2018

PLoS ONE

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“… ‘Sensory overload’ In agonistic interactions, the signaller may benefit from the transmission of complex cues by reducing the accuracy and/or speed of message transmission (Hebets and Papaj 2005 ; Bro-Jørgensen 2010 ). Dark-eyed juncos ( Junco hyemalis ) react more slowly when exposed to alarm calls in addition to a visual cue, compared to the visual cue alone (Randolet et al 2014 ). The response of the receiver may be rendered less advantageous or more costly due to time lags (Padilla and Adolph 1996 ; DeWitt et al 1998 ) and phenotype-environment mismatches to the benefit of the signaller.…”

Section: Simple and Complex Cues In Assessment Of The Social Environmmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of complex cues in social and reproductive plasticity

Dore

McDowall

Rouse

et al. 2018

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Phenotypic plasticity can be a key determinant of fitness. The degree to which the expression of plasticity is adaptive relies upon the accuracy with which information about the state of the environment is integrated. This step might be particularly beneficial when environments, e.g. the social and sexual context, change rapidly. Fluctuating temporal dynamics could increase the difficulty of determining the appropriate level of expression of a plastic response. In this review, we suggest that new insights into plastic responses to the social and sexual environment (social and reproductive plasticity) may be gained by examining the role of complex cues (those comprising multiple, distinct sensory components). Such cues can enable individuals to more accurately monitor their environment in order to respond adaptively to it across the whole life course. We briefly review the hypotheses for the evolution of complex cues and then adapt these ideas to the context of social and sexual plasticity. We propose that the ability to perceive complex cues can facilitate plasticity, increase the associated fitness benefits and decrease the risk of costly ‘mismatches’ between phenotype and environment by (i) increasing the robustness of information gained from highly variable environments, (ii) fine-tuning responses by using multiple strands of information and (iii) reducing time lags in adaptive responses. We conclude by outlining areas for future research that will help to determine the interplay between complex cues and plasticity.

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“…However, in natural circumstances, individuals do not always detect the approaching predator themselves [7,10], but instead respond to information on danger encoded in the alarm calls given by others [11]. Surprisingly, despite selection for rapid responses to danger [12,13], the speed of response to alarm calls has generally been overlooked [14][15][16], and there has been no study on how alarm calls are designed to allow both rapid and reliable communication.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Speedy revelations: how alarm calls can convey rapid, reliable information about urgent danger

McLachlan

Magrath

2020

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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In the perpetual struggle between high-speed predators and their prey, individuals need to react in the blink of an eye to avoid capture. Alarm calls that warn of danger therefore need to do so sufficiently rapidly that listeners can escape in time. Paradoxically, many species produce more elements in their alarm calls when signalling about more immediate danger, thereby increasing the reliability of transmission of critical information but taking longer to convey the urgent message. We found that New Holland honeyeaters, Phylidonyris novaehollandiae , incorporated more elements in alarm calls given to more dangerous predators, but video analysis revealed that listeners responded in 100 ms, after only the first element. Consistent with this rapid response, the acoustic structure of the first element varied according to the danger, and playbacks confirmed that birds need hear only the first element to assess risk. However, birds hid for longer and were more likely to flee, after calls with more elements. The dual mechanisms of varying both element structure and number may provide a widespread solution to signalling rapidly and reliably about immediate danger.

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Non‐Redundant Social Information Use in Avian Flocks with Multisensory Stimuli

Cited by 5 publications

References 58 publications

European starlings use their acute vision to check on feline predators but not on conspecifics

European starlings use their acute vision to check on feline predators but not on conspecifics

The role of complex cues in social and reproductive plasticity

Speedy revelations: how alarm calls can convey rapid, reliable information about urgent danger

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