A Refined Method for Studying Foraging Behaviour and Body Mass in Group-Housed European Starlings.

ABSTRACT: Laboratory experiments on passerine birds have been important for testing hypotheses regarding the effects of environmental variables on the adaptive regulation of body mass. However, previous work in this area has suffered from poor ecological validity and animal welfare due to the requirement to house birds individually in small cages to facilitate behavioural measurement and frequent catching for weighing. Here, we describe the social foraging system, a novel technology that permits continuous collection of individual-level data on operant foraging behaviour and body mass from group-housed European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). We report on the rapid acquisition of operant key pecking, followed by foraging and body mass data from two groups of six birds maintained on a fixed-rati

SUBMITTER: Bateson M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9099603 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature