Presentation Details
| Comparing social structure across monk parakeet groups with different early life experiences V Darby Moore1, Madeleine R Ball2, Elizabeth A Hobson1. 1University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.2Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA |
Abstract
For highly social species such as parrots, normal social behavior is essential for survival and reproduction. However, the extent to which social behaviors are learned during early life remains unclear. Limited parental contact early in life may alter social structure if individuals learn social behavior from their parents. We compared social conflict and partnership formation among three groups of captive monk parakeets: (1) hand-raised juveniles (no adult contact), (2) parent-raised juveniles (reared in a large social group), and (3) wild-caught adults. Social interactions were recorded throughout observation periods. If social behavior is learned, parent-raised juveniles should form social structures similar to adults, while hand-raised juveniles should differ. Our results show that dominance structures were consistent across groups, but affiliative social structures differed. Hand-raised birds shared physical contact with more partners on average than parent-raised birds, and both juvenile groups shared contact with more partners than adults. These results may have implications for conservation as hand-rearing is a common tool in rehabilitation and reintroduction of parrots.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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