Transcript Predator recognition by red

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Predator recognition by red-backed
shrikes – importance of predator colour,
size and presence of key features
Petr Veselý, Michal M. Němec, Michaela Syrová, Roman S. Fuchs
Center of Cognitive Ethology
Department of Zoology
Faculty of Science
University of South Bohemia
České Budějovice
Czech Republic
Background
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Classical studies
Key features (releasers)
Connected to reproduction
Supernormal stimulus
Lack 1943
Tinbergen 1951
Tinbergen 1953
Tinbergen 1948
Background
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Classical studies
Key features (releasers)
Connected to antipredatory behaviour
Curio 1975
Lorenz 1940
Krätzig 1940
Background
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Our study
Relevant stimulus
Predator
Recognition is essential
Vigorous and unambiguous response
Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio)
Methods
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Dummy presented at the nest (one meter)
actual peril
Breeding stage – large chicks (10-12 days)
large investment of parents
Behavioural response
Number of attacks
Methods – dummy material
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Stuffed dummy has limits
in terms of feature
manipulation
Textile dummy is suitable
Němec et al. (in press) Animal Cognition
stuffed
textile
plastic
Shrikes vs. corvids
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Shrikes avoid
attacking large
corvids
Němec and Fuchs (in press) Acta Ethologica
Importance of body size
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Shrikes avoid
attacking very
large jays
Kopecká et al. (in prep.)
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Shrikes’ responses to various
predators?
Shrikes respond differently
to predators and pigeon
Shrikes respond differently
to sparrowhawk and
kestrel
Strnad et al. (2012) Ornis Fennica, 89, 206-215
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Relative importance of raptor
features and colouration
Shrikes consider all dummies
without raptor features
harmless
Unfamiliar colouration affects the
raptor recognition
Němec et al. (in prep.)
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Summary
1.
Shrikes are able to recognize particular predators, to
assess the danger, they represent and to appropriately
respond
2.
When confronted to novel form of a predator, they
generalize according to specific features available for
recognition
3.
Body size is a measure of danger in general, raptor
features like beak, talons and conspicuous eyes are used
to identify a raptor, and colour identifies particular species
4.
None of tested features universally fullfilled the key role in
predator recognition
Acknowledgements
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Financial support:
Academy of Sciences (IAA601410803, 2008-2012)
Czech Science Foundation (206/03/H034, 2004-2007;
206/08/H044, 2008-2011)
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MSM6007665801, 20052010)
Field research:
Martin Strnad, Tereza Součková, Barbora Holečková, Anna
Vlašánková (Falkenauerová), Dana Luhanová, Lenka Dokoupilová
(Bendová), Kateřina Kopecká, Eliška Perlová, Tomáš Minařík,
Irena Tichá, Josef Šalom, Miroslav Bažant, Barbora Kamišová,
František Nuc, Nela Nováková
…and thank You for your attention