Parent-offspring recognition in the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Medvin, Mandy B.; Beecher, Michael D.

doi:10.1016/s0003-3472(86)80251-2

Cited by 60 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Adult birds of various taxonomic groups use the vocalizations of juveniles to guide their parent-offspring recognition (Rowley, 1980;Beecher et al, 1981Beecher et al, , 1986Harris, 1983;Medvin and Beecher, 1986;Jones et al, 1987;Congdon, 1991;Barg and Mumme, 1994;Saino and Fasola, 1996;Leonard et al, 1997;Lefevre et al, 1998). We focused our interest on NC (Jarvis et al, 2005) because this brain region is known to include auditory projections (Vates et al, 1996) likely to play a role in the recognition of vocal signals (Leppelsack and Vogt, 1976;Mello et al, 1992Mello et al, , 1995Mello and Clayton, 1994;Ribeiro et al, 1998).…”

Section: Mapping and Quantificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In such colonial species, parents must memorize the identity of their young before they fledge. This ability is found in various colonial birds such as swallows (Hirundo rustica: Medvin and Beecher, 1986; and Tachycineta bicolor: Leonard et al, 1997), terns (Sterna bergii: Davies and Carrick, 1962), cockatoos (Cacatua roseicapilla: Rowley, 1980), penguins (Spheniscus demersus: Seddon and Vanheezik, 1993), gulls (Larus atricilla: Beer, 1970), murrelets (Ynthliboramphus antiquus: Jones et al, 1987) and Piñon jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus: McArthur, 1982). Unlike in mammals, in which parent-offspring recognition relies on various combinations of visual (Ferreira et al, 2000), olfactory (Maletinska et al, 2002;Dobson and Jouventin, 2003;Phillips, 2003) and auditory (Illmann et al, 2002;Terrazas et al, 2003;Mathevon et al, 2004) cues, avian parents seem to recognize their offspring by their voices (Saino and Fasola, 1996;Jouventin and Aubin, 2002;Insley et al, 2003); no visual or olfactory cues are known to play a role in this recognition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Neuronal recruitment in adult zebra finch brain during a reproductive cycle

Barkan

Ayali

Nottebohm

et al. 2007

Developmental Neurobiology

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Previous studies suggest that adult neurogenesis and neuronal replacement are related to the acquisition of new information. The present study supports this hypothesis by showing that there is an increase in new neuron recruitment in brains of adult male and female zebra finches that coincides with the need to memorize vocalizations of nestlings before they fledge. We counted [(3)H]-Thymidine labeled neurons 40 days after [(3)H]-Thymidine injections. These counts were made in the parents' brains at the time eggs hatched, at the time juveniles fledged and still needed parental care, and at the time juveniles were already independent. We focused on nidopallium caudale (NC), a brain region which plays a role in sound processing. Recruitment of new NC neurons increased at the time the young fledged, followed by a significant decrease when the young reached independence. We suggest that this increase enables parents to recognize their own young when they are still dependent on parental feeding, yet easily lost among other fledglings in the colony. We saw no such increase in neuronal recruitment in the olfactory bulb, suggesting anatomical specificity for the effect seen in NC. We also found a preliminary, positive correlation between number of fledglings and number of new NC neurons in the parents' brain at fledging, suggesting that the number of neurons recruited is sensitive to the number of young fledged.

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Section: Mapping and Quantificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Neuronal recruitment in adult zebra finch brain during a reproductive cycle

Barkan

Ayali

Nottebohm

et al. 2007

Developmental Neurobiology

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“…Zebra finch fledglings will preferentially respond to the distance calls of their parents, particularly their fathers, though this specificity appears to develop over the course of several days (Mulard et al, 2010). Recognition of the parents by the fledglings is commonly observed in other colonial and nidiculous species, suggesting that this behavior is a widespread phenomenon (swallows (Beecher et al, 1981; Leonard et al, 1997; Medvin and Beecher, 1986; Sieber, 1985; Stoddard and Beecher, 1983), jays (McArthur, 1982) and seabirds (Aubin and Jouventin, 2002; Beer, 1969; Charrier et al, 2001; Evans, 1970; Mulard et al, 2008)).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental effects of vasotocin and nonapeptide receptors on early social attachment and affiliative behavior in the zebra finch

Baran

Sklar

Adkins‐Regan

2016

Hormones and Behavior

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Zebra finches demonstrate selective affiliation between juvenile offspring and parents, which, like affiliation between pair partners, is characterized by proximity, vocal communication and contact behaviors. This experiment tested the hypothesis that the nonapeptide arginine vasotocin (AVT, avian homologue of vasopressin) and nonapeptide receptors play a role prior to fledging in the development of affiliative behavior. Zebra finch hatchlings of both sexes received daily intracranial injections (post-hatch days 2–8) of either AVT, Manning Compound (MC, a potent V1a receptor antagonist) or saline (vehicle control). The social development of both sexes was assessed by measuring responsiveness to isolation from the family and subsequent reunion with the male parent after fledging. In addition, we assessed the changes in affiliation with the parents, unfamiliar males, and unfamiliar females each week throughout juvenile development. Compared to controls, MC subjects showed decreased attachment to the parents and MC males did not show the normal increase in affiliative interest in opposite sex individuals as they reached reproductive maturity. In contrast, AVT subjects showed a sustained affiliative interest in parents throughout development, and males showed increased interest in opposite sex conspecifics as they matured. These results provide the first evidence suggesting that AVT and nonapeptide receptors play organizational roles in social development in a bird.

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“…This result supports the hypothesis that magpies learn to recognise their own nestlings as those present in the nest, and that this comparison is the basis for discrimination. Recognition of chicks by their parents develops in species in which parents are likely to confuse the identity of their offspring (Stoddard and Beecher 1983;Medvin and Beecher 1986). The ability of magpies to discriminate against alien cuckoo chicks was higher when (1) a well-developed cuckoo chick was introduced into a magpie nest containing featherless chicks, and (2) when both the cross-fostered cuckoo and the magpie chick were well developed (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chick recognition and acceptance: a weakness in magpies exploited by the parasitic great spotted cuckoo

Soler

Martı́nez

Soler

et al. 1995

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Hosts of brood parasites have evolved the ability to discriminate non-mimetic and even mimetic eggs, but not non-mimetic chicks. Here we demonstrate that the great spotted cuckoo Clarnator glandarius does not provide its magpie Pica pica host with a supernormal stimulus that helps to avoid recognition, because single cuckoo chicks introduced into otherwise unparasitized magpie nests are not fed at a higher frequency than single magpie chicks introduced to parasitized magpie nests. Another series of experiments demonstrated that magpies have the ability to discriminate cuckoo chicks, mainly when these are introduced at the end of the nestling period, and especially when the cuckoo chick together with a magpie chick is presented to adult magpies outside the nest. This supports the idea that cuckoos exploit the obligatory reaction of magpies to feed all young that have been hatched in their nests and whose "signatures" they have learnt. Furthermore, the experimental cuckoo chicks in parasitized magpie nests were more likely to be accepted than they were in non-parasitized nests. This supports the hypothesis that magpies may learn to recognise their own nestlings as those present in the nest and may indicate that a comparison between cuckoo and magpie nestlings is the basis of discrimination.

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Parent-offspring recognition in the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Cited by 60 publications

References 27 publications

Neuronal recruitment in adult zebra finch brain during a reproductive cycle

Neuronal recruitment in adult zebra finch brain during a reproductive cycle

Developmental effects of vasotocin and nonapeptide receptors on early social attachment and affiliative behavior in the zebra finch

Chick recognition and acceptance: a weakness in magpies exploited by the parasitic great spotted cuckoo

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