AChamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) (09/05/90)
We have noticed that in monkeys, the parents give food to their offspring as a function of how hungry the offspring are. That is, the more the infants beg, the more often they are fed. Is there any evidence that birds do the same? Do the parents return to the nest more frequently or collect food more, the more the chicks beg? arnold
andrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor) (09/05/90)
In article <948@massey.ac.nz> AChamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes: >We have noticed that in monkeys, the parents give food to their >offspring as a function of how hungry the offspring are. That >is, the more the infants beg, the more often they are fed. > >Is there any evidence that birds do the same? Do the parents >return to the nest more frequently or collect food more, the >more the chicks beg? Yes its been shown for several birds that the hunger cry of the young is the most effective stimulus for feeding and that increasing this stimulus increases the frequency of feeding. Welty's Life of Birds gives these references: von Haartman(1953) Was reizt den Trauerfliegenschnapper (Musicapa hypoleuca) zu futtern?, Die Vogelwarte 16:157-164. Nottebohm(1971) Vocalizations and breeding behaviour of surgically deafened Ring Doves (Streptopelia risoria), Animal Behaviour, 19:313-327.
wvenable@spam.ua.oz.au (Bill Venables) (09/06/90)
In article <1178@cluster.cs.su.oz> andrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor) writes: > ... > Yes it's been shown for several birds that the hunger cry of the young > is the most effective stimulus for feeding and that increasing this > stimulus increases the frequency of feeding. According to Rowley some Australian cuckoos still have a feeding impulse in response to the calls of young cuckoos, even though they make no nest and rely almost entirely on brood parisitism for raising their young. -- Bill Venables, Dept. of Statistics, | Email: venables@spam.adelaide.edu.au Univ. of Adelaide, South Australia. | Phone: +61 8 228 5412
reynolds@felix.UUCP (David Lee Reynolds) (09/13/90)
In article <948@massey.ac.nz> AChamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes: >Is there any evidence that birds do the same? Do the parents >return to the nest more frequently or collect food more, the >more the chicks beg? > >arnold With the white, ringneck, and mourning dove species, it depends on the stage of development of the chicks, that determines the actions of the parents, in relation to feeding their young. When first hatched, the offspring will be greeted by their parents beak gently nudging theirs, as if in an effort to help the chick locate them, (their eyes are closed for approximately 5 days). The chicks are fed 1 or 2 times an hour for the first couple of days, and get the attention of the parents by making a light squeaking sound and waving their heads in front of them. Throughout the day, as the parents take shifts watching the young, if they are still sleeping during a shift change, the parent will "coo" and wake the chicks and commence feeding. After the chicks have reached the 7th day, they have already got their eyes open, and the first sign of pin-feathers start to show. The parents feed only when called by the chicks, and will spend more time away from the nest during the day. (By this time the chicks are very hard for the parents to Brood over, and look pretty comical trying to cover them). By the 2nd week, the young doves spend most of the day completely on their own. The parents seem to only come by to checkup on them, and if they are really begging for food will feed them. The chicks are almost completely feathered, and will soon be flying. At this time, they sleep with out the parents being directly by them. Week # 3 we will see the young doves are perched on the edge of the nest working their wings. For the first time, the doves are ready to fly. The parents will only feed them now just once a day, in an effort to lure the young from the nest, and start flying. No amount of begging on the chicks part will bring a fast response from the parents any more. The parents always stay in sight of the young, but only tease them by eating their seed and ignoring their calls of hunger. Week # 5 the young doves are now fully on their own, eating and drinking, and starting to show signs of personality. (pecking order begins). Any and all requests for crop-milk are now ignored, and may even receive a peck to discourage any further attempts. Week # 6 the parents start a new clutch of eggs, and here we go again! BTW, the young have been noted to "baby-sit" the nest eggs when both parents are out foraging for food. Do any other species of birds do this? David Lee Reynolds
rcb33483@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Kehaar) (09/13/90)
reynolds@felix.UUCP (David Lee Reynolds) writes: > After the chicks have reached the 7th day, they have already got their >eyes open, and the first sign of pin-feathers start to show. The parents feed >only when called by the chicks, and will spend more time away from the nest >during the day. (By this time the chicks are very hard for the parents to >Brood over, and look pretty comical trying to cover them). If you think that's funny, try watching a faithful plover parent try to brood one or more chicks that are curious about their new world...and keep running away...;->. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- R. Cody Buchmann ^.^ "Kehaar" "He tell *me* the plan...I *know* the email: rcb33483@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu plan!" -Watership Down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------