title: Flycatchers copy conspecifics in nest-site selection but neither personal experience nor frequency of tutors have an effect.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. tuomo.jaakkonen@oulu.fi
authors.forename: Tuomo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jaakkonen
authors.forename: Annemari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kari
authors.forename: Jukka T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Forsman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D007100:Imitative Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D020308:Songbirds / Q000502:physiology*; D013548:Sweden
references.citation: Curr Biol. 2007 Jul 17;17(14):1248-52
references.pmid: 17614285
references.citation: Nature. 2005 Sep 1;437(7055):52-5
references.pmid: 16136127
references.citation: Ecology. 2007 Jul;88(7):1622-33
references.pmid: 17645008
references.citation: Science. 2002 Aug 16;297(5584):1168-70
references.pmid: 12183627
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2012 May 22;279(1735):1977-85
references.pmid: 22217717
references.citation: Learn Behav. 2004 Feb;32(1):4-14
references.pmid: 15161136
references.citation: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2002 Nov 29;357(1427):1549-57
references.pmid: 12495512
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2011 Apr 22;278(1709):1223-30
references.pmid: 20943695
references.citation: Biol Lett. 2012 Jun 23;8(3):341-3
references.pmid: 22171018
references.citation: Nature. 2005 Sep 29;437(7059):737-40
references.pmid: 16113685
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2002 Aug 7;269(1500):1619-23
references.pmid: 12184832
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2003 Nov 22;270(1531):2413-9
references.pmid: 14667359
references.citation: Science. 2004 Jul 23;305(5683):487-91
references.pmid: 15273386
references.citation: Psychol Rev. 2006 Oct;113(4):700-65
references.pmid: 17014301
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2000 Apr 7;267(1444):713-8
references.pmid: 10821618
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2011 Jun 7;278(1712):1736-41
references.pmid: 21068038