NEOPHOBIA WHEN FEEDING ALONE OR IN FLOCKS IN ZEBRA FINCHES, TAENIOPYGIA-GUTTATA

Differences in the feeding behaviour of solitary and groups of three (flocks) adult male zebra finches were investigated. Neophobia (fear and avoidance of new things) was induced by presenting subjects with novel feeders and also adorning the feeders with different novel objects. The results showed that subjects in the flock entered the feeder and began feeding sooner than the solitary birds. The birds in the flock condition also entered the feeder sooner than solitary birds when novel objects adorned the feeder, although the magnitude of the difference depended on the specific object used. Because members of the flock could not directly observe the first member feeding, a 'social following' mechanism seems to describe best the behaviour of flock members, rather than local enhancement.