Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e60395. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060395. Epub 2013 Mar 27.
Using the behavior of others in guiding one's own behavior is a common strategy in animals. The prevailing theory predicts that young age and the inexperience of an individual are expected to increase the probability of adopting the behaviors of others. Also, the most common behavior in the population should be copied. Here, we tested the above predictions by examining social information use in the selection of nest-site features with a field experiment using a wild cavity nesting bird, the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis). We used an experimental design in which geometric symbols depict nest-site features. By manipulating the apparent symbol choices of early settled individuals and monitoring the choices of later arriving birds, we can study social information use without bias from learned or innate preferences. Flycatchers were found to use social information in the selection of nest-site features, with about 60% of the population preferring the manipulated conspecific choices. However, age and experience as explanatory factors suggested by the social information use theory did not explain the choices. The present result, in concert with earlier similar experiments, implies that flycatchers may in some situations rely more on interspecific information in the selection of nest-site characteristics.
利用他人的行为来指导自己的行为是动物中常见的策略。流行的理论预测，年轻和缺乏经验的个体更有可能采用他人的行为。此外，种群中最常见的行为应该被复制。在这里，我们通过使用野外实验来检验使用巢址特征的社会信息利用，检验了上述预测，该实验使用了一种野生洞穴筑巢的鸟类，领雀嘴鹎（Ficedula albicollis）。我们使用了一种实验设计，其中几何符号描绘了巢址特征。通过操纵早期定居个体的明显符号选择，并监测后来到达的鸟类的选择，我们可以在没有学习或先天偏好偏见的情况下研究社会信息的使用。发现领雀嘴鹎在选择巢址特征时会利用社会信息，约有 60%的种群偏爱被操纵的同种选择。然而，社会信息利用理论所解释的年龄和经验等因素并不能解释这些选择。本研究结果与早期类似的实验结果一致，表明在某些情况下，领雀嘴鹎在选择巢址特征时可能更依赖于种间信息。
