Immigrant birds learn useful behaviors from their neighbors

Researchers recently provided the first experimental evidence that hints at a trigger for social learning in the wild, particularly in birds.

Their study of great tits (Parus major) led to the discovery that immigration can make birds pay close attention to their peers’ activities, which leads to the swift adoption of useful behaviors.

Interestingly, it is a long-assumed theory that immigration is a fundamental factor that boosts strategic social learning in birds.

Pioneers of social learning

A lot of animals learn from one another, especially in the wild. A new study has now focused on social learning in a specific bird species, the great tit.

These birds gained fame in the 1920s when they began to open foil milk bottle lids to feed on the cream inside them.

People across Europe started to find their milk bottles raided by birds, a behavior that spread rapidly and led scientists to speculate that these birds were learning from each other.

Secret of bird learning

Research in 2015 by Lucy Aplin, then at the University of Oxford, addressed this speculation in an experiment on a population of great tits in an English forest.

The results revealed that these birds learned how to free food from a puzzle box by mimicking others. This supported the theory that the birds were probably passing on this thieving behavior to the rest of their flock.

Logic behind social learning in birds

“Paying attention to what others are doing gives you the chance to see whether a new behavior is beneficial, or potentially dangerous. Copying it means that you too can reap the reward,” explained study lead author and postdoctoral researcher Michael Chimento, who worked with Aplin’s team.

This notion fits well into the framework of survival instincts present in wild animals, where learning and adopting advantageous behaviors could spell the difference between life and death.

Catalyst of learning in the wild

Chimento and Aplin wanted to identify a specific trigger or component that could propel social learning. Theoretical models suggested that animals should change their social learning strategy when faced with new environments.

Essentially, an animal in a new habitat may be more inclined to learn from others. However, this theory had not been experimentally tested in non-human animals until the current study.

The team formulated an experiment, using an automated puzzle box system, to test this hypothesis. They first created experimental social groups of wild-caught great tits.

Each group had a tutor bird that was trained to access food from a puzzle box by pushing the door either left or right.

Immigrant birds adapt to new methods

The scientists also simulated an immigration event. Birds trained to push right were transferred to aviaries where resident birds were using the left-hand solution, and vice versa.

Most “immigrant” birds switched their method immediately. They adopted the resident solution on their first try, suggesting social learning was at play.

Interestingly, these immigrant birds were not only moved to a location where residents were getting better food; their visual environment was also dramatically altered.

The scientists changed the foliage in the experimental aviaries, which proved to be a game-changer for learning. Immigrant birds moved to locations where the vegetation was not changed were much slower to learn the behaviors of the local birds.

Critical survival strategy

This fascinating study provides the first experimental evidence showing the powerful impact of immigration on how animals learn from one another.

In nature, animals are frequently moving from one environment to another, so it is advantageous to have a strategy for discerning useful and maladaptive behaviors in new places.

Broader implications of the research

The implications of this research extend beyond avian social learning and touch upon ecosystem dynamics as a whole.

When animals, such as great tits, migrate and adapt quickly to new surroundings by learning from resident species, it affects the composition and interaction patterns within ecosystems.

This behavior supports biodiversity and enhances the resilience of ecosystems by enabling a variety of species to coexist, despite changes in environmental conditions or the introduction of new species.

Understanding these dynamics can inform conservation strategies, and highlight the role of social learning in ecosystems that are facing climate change and habitat destruction.

Social learning and human parallels

Remarkably, the patterns of social learning observed in birds find parallels in human behavior, particularly in how knowledge and cultural practices are spread across communities.

Like the great tits, humans often adapt to new environments by observing and mimicking the behaviors of others. This capability has been crucial in our evolution, allowing communities to adapt rapidly and thrive in diverse and changing environments.

The study of social learning in birds, therefore, offers valuable insights into the evolutionary mechanisms that have shaped not only avian species but also human society. Such studies illustrate the interconnectedness of all life and the shared strategies that underpin survival and adaptation.

Our understanding of social learning in animals can contribute significantly to preserving biodiversity and ensuring species survival.

With such experimental evidence, we can better understand the coping mechanisms and adaptive behaviors animals employ in their constantly changing environments.

The study is published in the journal PLOS Biology.

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