Age differences in the controls of ring doves' pecking.

Three experiments investigated the endogenous and exogenous controls of ring dove pecking. Experiment 1 confirmed that deprivation modulates adult pecking although nondeprived subjects peak at high levels. Experiment 2 determined that the level of pecking in nondeprived birds is modulated by exogenous cues such as the salience of the seed. Experiment 3 analyzed some of the controls of pecking in squabs. Both nondeprived and deprived squabs pecked little on days 12 and 16 of life, but by day 18, deprived squabs pecked significantly more than nondeprived squabs. Squabs inexperienced with deprivation peck less when hungry than squab that have had previous experience with deprivation. The controls of feeding change between day 24 of life and adulthood as exogenous cues did not stimulate nondeprived squab pecking until day 24 of life.