Heterospecific intrusions, synchronous fleeing, and nest attendance in a weaverbird colony

Synchronous fleeing (i.e. “dreads” or “panic flights”) is a frequently observed but rarely quantified behaviour in colonial birds. Here we analyse video recordings to assess synchronous fleeing behaviour in a Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) colony. Our results indicate that intrusions by heteros...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ornithology 2015-04, Vol.156 (2), p.551-555
Main Authors: Habig, Bobby, Lahti, David C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomedical and Life Sciences
birds
Ecology
eyes
Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management
Life Sciences
nesting
nests
ornithology
Short Note
villages
Zoology
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Summary:Synchronous fleeing (i.e. “dreads” or “panic flights”) is a frequently observed but rarely quantified behaviour in colonial birds. Here we analyse video recordings to assess synchronous fleeing behaviour in a Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) colony. Our results indicate that intrusions by heterospecific avian species are frequent and create significant daily differences in female nest attendance. Overall, different sizes, masses and species of intruding heterospecifics appear to affect weaver nesting similarly. Our findings suggest that in colonial birds, with the advantage of “many eyes”, a rapid response to a potential threat nevertheless comes at the apparent cost of many “false alarms”.
ISSN:2193-7192
2193-7206
DOI:10.1007/s10336-014-1144-7