Hi all-
This morning, Sophie had a definite response (repeated "death screams" of warning, running back and forth, flapping) to a small hawk hunting sparrows outside her window, and I was wondering if anyone knew if the predator response is learned or instinctive? I had thought that this type of thing (hawk ID versus a bigger bird like a raven or crow) was mostly learned, but from her reaction, it seemed like instinct.
(BTW, this was a very young Cooper's hawk, new to hunting, that when I went out to take a closer look, stared back at me and wouldn't budge from his low branch, and even let out a couple of peeps like he was REALLY starving and those sparrows rustling around in the shrubs were just SO tempting. I could almost hear his stomach growling. Of course, Sophie is similarly single-minded about food, so it's not like I haven't seen that look before.)
Response to predators: learned or instinct?
Moderator: Mods
-
kyria
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3050
- Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 5:42 pm
- Location: Live in Australia - Have a home in Florida - Citizenship in Heaven
- Contact:
Myself I would say instinct !
My fids are naturally scared of shadows (like a bird flying over head), sudden movements , they contact call at the sight of a cat (we don't have them but heaps of neighbourhood cats prowl around grrrrrr
@ cat owners) None of them were parent raised so none of them were taught.
My fids are naturally scared of shadows (like a bird flying over head), sudden movements , they contact call at the sight of a cat (we don't have them but heaps of neighbourhood cats prowl around grrrrrr
@ cat owners) None of them were parent raised so none of them were taught.Angie
---------
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
-----------
God Bless
---------
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
-----------
God Bless
I would say instinct aswell. Although Jibby seems to get more 'turned on' by crows instead of alarming death screams 
(Or maybe he just has a thing for big black birds.. and planes/helicopters 
) Yoda just screams at every bird outside! Jibby calls the alarm at next doors cat, that likes to sit on our balcony, but Yoda doesn't seem to care about the cat? They are both complete opposites. 
I wonder if it is possible for a bird (human only contact all its life) to forget instincts or are they always there?
(Or maybe he just has a thing for big black birds.. and planes/helicopters ) Yoda just screams at every bird outside! Jibby calls the alarm at next doors cat, that likes to sit on our balcony, but Yoda doesn't seem to care about the cat? They are both complete opposites.
I wonder if it is possible for a bird (human only contact all its life) to forget instincts or are they always there?
"Jibby aka Gilbert" Indian Ringneck 13 years "Charlie" Rex Rabbit 1 year
Instinctual.
Instinctual behavioural patterns are born into animals as we know, though instinctual patterns can be all but wiped out from your pet. Though as far as still being there.. you may only notice it as a touch of hesitation before the leap
For example... you can take a chicken and its young into a small pen with a sheltered side and an open side. Place food in the open ground and let them forage. You can dangle boxes... circular shapes and various other patterns above them to cast shadow on the ground around them. And nothing happens. You present the most basic of shadow resemblances to a hawk, eagle, whathaveyou... you will find the young rush to the parent OR the shelter.. and the parent swiftly moving to a safe point itself.
Unfortunately, as with any intelligence, you can conflict this behaviour with conditioned behavioural patterns (misbehaviour - more commonly known to us in the term of your favourite pet eating your bracelet or attacking your cat heh). Hence why I am incredibly cautious here in Australia when I take my bright yellow fuzzy IRN out into the yard and let him wander. The little bugger would just as likely flirt to or try to feed a hawk as it does with magpies and crows. Which would equal dead fuzzy little IRN :/ as I have trained him to feed and play around almost any animal... dog... cat... my sister...
As to him.. anything that moves and or makes noise = fun. Whereas my breeders... who have had human surroundings.. yet minimal bahvioural conflicts due to not being played with or trained otherwise, call out and try to either scream away at cats / larger birds or hide.
This is also why when such rare species are bred in captivity or even common animals rescued and raised by humans to be placed back in the wild (souch as orphaned animals due to car accidents etc) the greatest of care comes into play to make sure no conditional behavioural patterns carry through to the animals daily routine before a point of release. This can be as simple as having minimal contact after self sufficiency... or as difficult as re-training the young step by step each generation untill the young have minimal (if any) contact with humans. (as is the case with rare / endangered creatures that have spent generations in captivity).
I have a friend who has successfully hand tamed a sun conure while the parent birds (previously pets) raised it at the same time in an avairy outdoors. The young learnt that there was no fear to be held in humans. As its own parents fed it as she held it. Now its a spectacular little pet. With minimal work from herself.
Instinctual behavioural patterns are born into animals as we know, though instinctual patterns can be all but wiped out from your pet. Though as far as still being there.. you may only notice it as a touch of hesitation before the leap
For example... you can take a chicken and its young into a small pen with a sheltered side and an open side. Place food in the open ground and let them forage. You can dangle boxes... circular shapes and various other patterns above them to cast shadow on the ground around them. And nothing happens. You present the most basic of shadow resemblances to a hawk, eagle, whathaveyou... you will find the young rush to the parent OR the shelter.. and the parent swiftly moving to a safe point itself.
Unfortunately, as with any intelligence, you can conflict this behaviour with conditioned behavioural patterns (misbehaviour - more commonly known to us in the term of your favourite pet eating your bracelet or attacking your cat heh). Hence why I am incredibly cautious here in Australia when I take my bright yellow fuzzy IRN out into the yard and let him wander. The little bugger would just as likely flirt to or try to feed a hawk as it does with magpies and crows. Which would equal dead fuzzy little IRN :/ as I have trained him to feed and play around almost any animal... dog... cat... my sister...
As to him.. anything that moves and or makes noise = fun. Whereas my breeders... who have had human surroundings.. yet minimal bahvioural conflicts due to not being played with or trained otherwise, call out and try to either scream away at cats / larger birds or hide.
This is also why when such rare species are bred in captivity or even common animals rescued and raised by humans to be placed back in the wild (souch as orphaned animals due to car accidents etc) the greatest of care comes into play to make sure no conditional behavioural patterns carry through to the animals daily routine before a point of release. This can be as simple as having minimal contact after self sufficiency... or as difficult as re-training the young step by step each generation untill the young have minimal (if any) contact with humans. (as is the case with rare / endangered creatures that have spent generations in captivity).
I have a friend who has successfully hand tamed a sun conure while the parent birds (previously pets) raised it at the same time in an avairy outdoors. The young learnt that there was no fear to be held in humans. As its own parents fed it as she held it. Now its a spectacular little pet. With minimal work from herself.
Last edited by Fah on Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:17 am, edited 2 times in total.