Wild zebra finches are attracted towards acoustic cues from conspecific social groups

Abstract

Social information gathered by observing others often supplements personal information collected from direct interactions with the physical environment during decision-making. Social information use may be particularly beneficial in harsh environments or if resources are distributed patchily, ephemeral, and unpredictable, and hence difficult to locate. We experimentally tested the use of acoustic cues in wild zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) as they flew around their arid habitat as a way of locating conspecifics on the ground, and potentially accessing useful social information. Joining a conspecific group may reduce the predation risk, and if they are foraging may also improve foraging efficiency, as the distribution of zebra finch food (grass seed) is scattered and unpredictable in their natural habitat, the Australian arid zone. We conducted playback experiments along vegetated creek lines radiating out from an artificial dam where all birds in the population were coming for drinking water. We broadcast recordings of vocalizations from foraging conspecific groups to birds using these creek lines to move to or from the water into the wider habitat. Zebra finches were more likely to land near the loudspeaker when conspecific vocalizations were broadcast compared to white noise. Birds flying low and close to the loudspeaker were most likely to land. Our results indicate that zebra finches use acoustic cues of conspecifics as a source of social information for grouping decisions. Use of such information may also enhance foraging efficiency in environments with unpredictable and scarce foraging locations, and reduce predation risk for calling and responding individuals.

Hanging out in the outback: the use of social hotspots by wild zebra finches

“…The song of the zebra finch is only audible to other conspecifics within around nine meters, and even the ‘long distance' contact call is relatively quiet, and quickly lost in the open landscape in which the zebra finch lives (Loning et al 2022). Thus, vocalisations in the zebra finch cannot function as a long‐range signal to regulate spacing (Waser and Wiley 1979, Brumm and Naguib 2009, Snijders and Naguib 2017), or facilitate re‐grouping, even though they attract others over short range (Adrian et al 2022, Loning et al 2023a), and play a role in close‐range spatial coordination when flying in flocks, together with visual cues (Arnold et al 2022). Of course, it is likely that these visual cues may also play a role in identification of conspecifics beyond the short ranges described here, and probably visual cues are important for the identification of social hotspots by zebra finches traversing their environment.…”

“…At one site (West Mandleman) on one day, during the direct observation periods we saw some birds feeding on the ground in the area within 50 m of the focal tree, we did not observe this at any of the other sites, and only in the morning at the one site. Even though most of our selected hotspots were apparently not close to resources, it is likely that they were situated on flyways (Adrian et al 2022) between different resources or between resources and roosting sites.…”

Generalisation of early learned tutor song preferences in female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

“…The experimental setup was placed on a table (height: 75 cm) in a sound attenuated chamber (height: 250 cm, width × length irregular quadrilateral: 335 × 280 × 290 × 300 cm). To reduce acclimation time (Waas et al, 2005; Adrian et al, 2022), an additional loudspeaker (JBL Clip2, Vietnam) was placed on the floor directly under the carrousel broadcasting a continuous recording of one of our bird rooms (45 dBA sound peak pressure level measured at the height of the perches inside the carrousel). A camera (Logitech HD 1080p, Lausanne, Switzerland) was mounted 1.5 meter above the carrousel and connected to the computer (software: Webcam 7 pro, v. 1.5.3.0) controlling the setup and allowing to monitor females’ behaviour during trials from outside the experimental room.…”

Group orientation and social order versus disorder: Perspective of outsiders toward experimental chains of social hermit crabs

“…Across all habitats, both abiotic and biotic features of the environment may impede an outsider's ability to detect a group (Steele & Laidre, 2019; Valdes & Laidre, 2018; Ward et al, 2008). Nevertheless, certain locations within the environment may be more likely than others to have social groups (Adrian et al, 2022). The precise location of social groups will be highly dependent on the natural history and mobility of group members within the environment (Seebacher & Krause, 2017; He et al, 2019).…”