Inferential reasoning and egg rejection in a cooperatively breeding cuckoo

Inferential reasoning—associating a visible consequence with an imagined event—has been demonstrated in several bird species in captivity, but few studies have tested wild birds in ecologically relevant contexts. Here, we investigate inferential reasoning by the greater ani, a cooperatively breeding...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animal cognition 2015, Vol.18 (1), p.75-82
Main Authors: Riehl, Christina, Strong, Meghan J., Edwards, Scott V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal cognition
Animal reproduction
Animals
Behavioral Sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Birds
Cooperative Behavior
Eggs
Female
Females
Life Sciences
Nesting Behavior
Original Paper
Ovum
Problem Solving
Psychology Research
Recognition (Psychology)
Zoology
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Summary:Inferential reasoning—associating a visible consequence with an imagined event—has been demonstrated in several bird species in captivity, but few studies have tested wild birds in ecologically relevant contexts. Here, we investigate inferential reasoning by the greater ani, a cooperatively breeding cuckoo in which several females lay eggs in one nest. Prior to laying her first egg, each female removes any eggs that have already been laid by other females in the shared nest. After laying her first egg, however, each female stops removing eggs, presumably in order to avoid accidentally rejecting her own. But are anis using inferential reasoning to track the fate of their eggs in the communal nest, or is egg ejection governed by non-cognitive determinants? We experimentally removed eggs from two-female nests after both females had laid at least one egg and used video recording to verify that both females viewed the empty nest. We waited until one female (A) laid an egg in the nest, and video recorded the behavior of the female that had not yet re-laid (B). We predicted that if capable of inferential reasoning, female B should infer that the new egg could not be her own and she should remove it. Five out of five females tested failed to make this inference, suggesting that egg removal is either determined by the female’s reproductive status or by the amount of time elapsed between egg removal and re-laying. This apparent cognitive constraint may have implications for the evolutionary stability of the anis’ unusual breeding system.
ISSN:1435-9448
1435-9456
DOI:10.1007/s10071-014-0778-4