Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) Response to Pyrotechnics andLethal Removal in a Controlled Setting
نویسندگان
چکیده
Pyrotechnics have long been used to frighten birds from specific areas but birds might habituate to them. Anecdotal and limited published reports suggest that killing a flock member can reduce habituation. However, little behavioral work has been conducted in this area. We exposed brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) to noise from either 0.22 caliber blanks or 15-mm pyrotechnics in a series of controlled, cage experiments to determine if killing a flock member increased the time that cowbirds respond to pyrotechnics. Cowbirds responded no differently to pyrotechnics following the death of a flock member either before or after habituation to pyrotechnics. Our results might have been influenced by cage effects or perceived inconsequence of the death of a conspecific. Further work with other species is warranted, particularly with regard to sociality.
منابع مشابه
Mite-filled cyst on a Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) in Florida, USA.
A large, partly pedunculated mass on the scapular area of a wild-caught captive Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) consisted of a multiloculated keratin cyst inhabited by a new species of harpirhynchid mite (Harpirhynchus quasimodo). The mass did not interfere with flight or behavior. This is the first record of such an infestation of cowbirds in Florida.
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