Abstract
Antipredator behavior includes several qualitatively distinct activities, but few studies have determined the degree to which these activities are independent. If behaviors are not independent, then the nature of the relationship would illustrate potential performance constraints. We studied crimson rosellas (Platycercus elegans) and first focused on acoustic predator discrimination. We measured time allocation before and after playback of one of three experimental treatments (peregrine falcons—Falco peregrinus, wedge-tailed eagles—Aquila audax, and crimson rosellas) to determine whether or not rosellas discriminated predators from non-predators, and specifically whether or not they discriminated large from small predators. We then focused on the decision to flee. We experimentally approached subjects and measured the distance at which they oriented to us (alert distance) and the distance at which they fled (flight initiation distance; FID). We found that rosellas could distinguish among predators; however, there was no effect on general wariness as measured by FID. These two processes of antipredator behavior may, thus, be independent.
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Acknowledgements
For permission to work in Booderee National Park, we thank the National Park staff and the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community. Additionally, we thank Tony Davidson for permission to work on the H.M.A.S. Creswell. We thank the UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, the Lida Scott Brown Ornithology Trust, and the UCLA Office of Instructional Development for their generous support. Special thanks go to Brian Smith for help in the field and the lab, Benjamin Theule for editorial help and insight, and Eve Buigues for support. We thank Peter Bednekoff and three anonymous reviewers for extremely constructive criticism on a previous version.
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Adams, J.L., Camelio, K.W., Orique, M.J. et al. Does information of predators influence general wariness?. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 60, 742–747 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-006-0218-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-006-0218-9