Abstract
The present study evaluates the impact of lofts on the development of the navigational system of pigeons. A series of results obtained between 2000 and 2004 were analyzed. The H-loft was placed 10 m above the ground, with a ring format and seven windows all around it as well as three external aviaries that allowed birds to have a wide view of the outdoors and of the sky and knowledge of the wind dynamics. The L-loft was placed at ground level, with a single window transformed into an external aviary. The L-loft was protected from the wind by surrounding trees, reducing the ability of the pigeons to access the wind dynamics and also restricting their access to information regarding the outside area and the sky. In a preliminary analysis, we found the parameter of “vanishing time” to differ significantly between lofts in two of the five age classes. A thorough analysis of this parameter throughout the ontogenetic development of the birds demonstrated a pronounced improvement in the information-processing system with age, with adults vanishing quicker than younger birds, although an impairment of development occurred during the third month of age, perhaps due to a reorganization of the system. This result was obtained when the effect of lofts was considered in the different age classes. Results suggest that loft features are an important factor in the ability of the young pigeons to exploit navigational cues.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Prof. Wolfgang Wiltschko for important methodological pieces of advice. We also thank the two anonymous referees for very helpful and constructive comments on the manuscript, and we appreciate as well the improvements in English usage made by Jen Johnson through the Association of Field Ornithologists' program of editorial assistance. For logistical support, we thank Jardim Zoologico de Lisboa and Federação Portuguesa de Columbofilia. This project has been financially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (PRAXIS. SFRH/BD/1126/2000).
The pigeons were bred and kept according to the Portuguese laws on animal welfare (licence no. 39086 from the Federação Portuguesa de Columbofilia).
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Communicated by W. Wiltschko.
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Jorge, P., Vicente, L. Loft features influence the processing of navigational information by pigeons. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 59, 397–402 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-005-0063-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-005-0063-2