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The two hemispheres of the avian brain: their differing roles in perceptual processing and the expression of behavior

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Abstract

The hemispheres of the avian brain are specialized to carry out different functions. Since each eye sends its input mainly to the contralateral hemisphere, birds respond differently to stimuli seen with the left eye than they do to stimuli seen with the right eye. The right hemisphere attends to novel stimuli, which easily distract it from ongoing functions. It assumes control in emergency or stressful conditions. The left hemisphere attends to learnt categories and controls behavior in routine, non-stressful situations. This division of function extends to processing of auditory, olfactory and even magnetic stimuli. Evidence for this comes from a number of avian species, and has been shown in both laboratory and field tests. Knowledge of these specializations is relevant to understanding the behavior of birds in the wild since birds respond in different ways to stimuli on their left and right sides (e.g. preferential response to predators and conspecific on the left side and to prey on the right side) and they choose to view different stimuli with the left or right eye. Individual differences in the strength of visual lateralization are determined by exposure of the embryo to light, versus incubation in the dark, and by the levels of steroid hormones in ovo. The importance of these influences on lateralization is discussed in terms of behavior in the natural habitat. The potential importance of hemispheric dominance in the welfare of birds is also considered.

Zusammenfassung

Die Hemisphären des Vogelhirns sind darauf spezialisiert, verschiedene Funktionen auszuführen. Da jedes Auge Eingänge (input) hauptsächlich zur kontralateralen Hemisphäre schickt, reagieren Vögel in unterschiedlicher Weise auf Stimuli, die sie mit dem linken oder rechten Auge gesehen haben. Die rechte Hemisphäre reagiert auf neue Stimuli, die leicht von alltäglichen Funktionen ablenken. Sie übernimmt auch Kontrolle in Notfällen oder Stress. Die linke Hemisphäre reagiert auf erlernte Kategorien und kontrolliert Verhalten in Routine and nicht-stressigen Situationen. Diese Funktionstrennung gilt auch in der Verarbeitung von visuellen, olfaktorischen und selbst magnetischen Stimuli. Beweise dazu sind bekannt in einer Reihe von Vogelarten und sind in Feld- und Labortests nachgewiesen worden. Erkenntnis dieser Spezialisierungen ist relevant zum Verständnis des Verhaltens von Vögeln in der Wildnis, da Vögel in verschiedener Weise auf Stimuli auf ihrer rechten oder linken Seite reagieren (z.B.: bevorzugterweise auf der linken Seite für Raubtiere und Artgenossen und auf der rechten Seite für Beutetiere), und sie wählen das linke oder rechte Auge, um verschiedene Stimuli zu betrachten. Individuelle Unterschiede in der Stärke der Lateralisierung sind abhängig davon, ob Embryos dem Licht ausgesetzt sind, oder in Dunkelheit bebrütet werden, oder aber von der Menge an steroiden Hormonen in ovo. Die Bedeutung dieser Einflüsse auf Lateralisierung werden hier in Bezug auf Tierverhalten im natürlichen Habitat diskutiert. Die potentielle Bedeutung von Gehirn-hemisphärischer Dominanz in der Wohlfahrt von Vögeln ist ebenso berücksichtigt.

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Acknowledgments

I am most grateful to the Organising Committee of the International Ornithological Conference for the opportunity to present this paper at the meeting in Brazil in 2010. My own research cited in this review was conducted in accordance with the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (NHMRC 2004). I am grateful to Prof. Gisela Kaplan for comments on the manuscript and translating the Abstract into German.

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  1. Centre for Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour, School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia

    Lesley J. Rogers

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Communicated by John Wingfield.

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Rogers, L.J. The two hemispheres of the avian brain: their differing roles in perceptual processing and the expression of behavior. J Ornithol 153 (Suppl 1), 61–74 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-011-0769-z

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