Evaluating the social networks of four flocks of captive flamingos over a five-year period: Temporal, environmental, group and health influences on assortment

Rose, Paul; Croft, Darren P.

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104118

Cited by 19 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Our findings conflict with previous studies where cross-fostered birds display numerous behavioural similarities to their foster species [30,31,34] and develop altered social preferences [23,39]. Instead, both foster-reared and parent-reared Chilean flamingo chicks were able to express patterns of activity and association similar to their captive and wild counterparts [47,50,51,71].…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Wild Andean and Chilean flamingos inhabit intersecting geographical regions in South America [51,52], utilising similar wetland resources. This ecology is represented in their enclosure design at this animal collection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is potential that these behavioural and physiological differences may manifest into altered behavioural repertoires and social preferences in cross-fostered Chilean flamingo chicks. We aimed to use well established welfare measures of captive flamingo activity and enclosure usage (e.g., [48]), as well as social network analyses (e.g., [50,51]) to compare temporal patterns of behaviour and sociality of cross-fostered Chilean flamingo chicks with that of parent-reared Chilean flamingo chicks housed in the same enclosure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Influences of Rearing Environment on Behaviour and Welfare of Captive Chilean Flamingos: A Case Study on Foster-Reared and Parent-Reared Birds

Kidd

Rose

2021

JZBG

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Behaviour signals the internal states that relate to an individual’s welfare and its development is influenced by the early social environment that an animal experiences. Husbandry practices can alter this early social environment, for example different rearing conditions (e.g., foster rearing by a surrogate parent of another species). Widespread implementation of altered rearing can lack empirical support and non-parent-reared animals may experience poorer welfare resulting from maternal deprivation. An opportunity presented itself to measure the effect of foster-rearing on Chilean flamingo behaviour and social preferences at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre and compare findings to parent-reared conspecifics in the same time period. Data were collected from April to July 2019 at three timepoints during each observation day. Binomial generalized linear mixed models were used to assess the relationship between focal chicks’ rearing background with behaviour, zone usage, and flock position whilst accounting for climatic factors and visitor numbers. The development of social preferences was assessed using social network analysis. Our results showed limited impacts on flamingo behavioural development due to foster rearing. Foster-reared chicks spent less time feeding, were more likely to occupy the nesting area of the enclosure, and had fewer significant preferred associations than parent-reared chicks, but preferred social bonds were as equally strong and durable for both foster-reared and parent-reared chicks. Our results have important welfare implications for the use of foster-rearing in captive environments; altered early social rearing environments through cross-fostering in Chilean flamingos is associated with limited differences in behavioural and social development.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Influences of Rearing Environment on Behaviour and Welfare of Captive Chilean Flamingos: A Case Study on Foster-Reared and Parent-Reared Birds

Kidd

Rose

2021

JZBG

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“…Although social networks are prone to change over time (Borgeaud et al, 2016, 2017), we found that individuals had consistent centrality in the three interaction networks from one mating season to the next (with a 6‐month interval), despite changes in group composition. High year‐to‐year consistency in centrality across years has been reported in various other species (flamingos: Phoenicopterus ruber , Frumkin et al, 2016; Rose & Croft, 2020; bighorn sheep: Ovis canadensis , Vander Wal et al (2015); ring‐tailed lemurs: Lemur catta , Kulahci et al, 2018; rhesus macaques: Macaca mulatta , Brent et al, 2013). Although we compared centralities of only individuals that were present during the two study periods, excluding juvenile male emigrants from the group and adult males that immigrated into the group, we suggest that any social reorganization of the group subsequent to these dispersal events had no major overall effects on individual centralities of stable group residents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

The consistency of individual centrality across time and networks in wild vervet monkeys

Canteloup

Puga-Gonzalez

Sueur

et al. 2021

American J Primatol

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Previous primate social network studies largely limited their focus to grooming and/or aggression networks, particularly among adult females. In addition, the consistency of individuals' network centrality across time and/or different networks has received little attention, despite this being critical for a global understanding of dynamic social structure. Here, we analyzed the grooming, aggression, and play social networks of a group of 26-28 wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), including adults and juveniles, over two periods of 6 months. We collected data on grooming, play, and aggression using focal animal sampling with instantaneous recording and ad libitum sampling. We examined whether individuals' network centralities were consistent over the two periods and across networks, as well as the effect of age, sex, and dominance rank on three individual centrality metrics in each network and within each study period. We found that individuals were quite consistent in their network position from 1 year to the next despite changes in group composition. However, their network centralities were not correlated across networks, except for Strength and weighted Eigenvector centrality between grooming and aggression networks. We also found that in the aggression network, highrankers showed the highest centrality in most network metrics (e.g., Degree, Strength, and Eigenvector centrality) and compared to males, females were most central in 2017 but not in 2018. In the grooming network, high-ranking females had the highest Eigenvector centrality, whereas in the play network, juvenile males had the highest Eigenvector centrality. Our findings corroborate previous findings on vervet monkeys. In addition, they show that individuals' network centralities may vary among networks and over time; thus highlighting the effect of sociodemographics and behaviors' functions on the group level dynamics of social behavior.

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“…Multiple comparison within the same animal collection provides data at the individual bird and flock-level on responses to environmental variables, as well as information on trends in behavioral performance over time. For example, the longitudinal study of social behavior and aggression within one flock of Lesser Flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) or the study of different groups of flamingos with one animal collection to provide evidence on social networks, enclosure usage and behavioral diversity [60][61][62], provides a means of evaluating animal, temporal, seasonal and environmental influences on behavior patterns and their potential normality for that species. Collection of data across multiple individuals across multiple facilities should be the next step to such studies, encouraging the comparison and evaluation of data that shows how birds are responding to the environment provided.…”

Section: Behavior and Welfare Conserving Adaptive Traitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for Aviculture: Identifying Research Needs to Advance the Role of Ex Situ Bird Populations in Conservation Initiatives and Collection Planning

Rose

2021

Birds

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Birds are the most speciose of all taxonomic groups currently housed in zoos, but this species diversity is not always matched by their inclusion in research output in the peer-reviewed literature. This large and diverse captive population is an excellent tool for research investigation, the findings of which can be relevant to conservation and population sustainability aims. The One Plan Approach to conservation aims to foster tangible conservation relevance of ex situ populations to those animals living in situ. The use of birds in zoo aviculture as proxies for wild-dwelling counterparts is considered from this integrated conservation approach. This paper considers the relevance of ex situ bird populations to field-based conservation action and it illustrates how “added value” to captive populations can be gained from their inclusion in conservation efforts. Current trends in scientific publications that focus on birds are provided to identify patterns in species focus and identification of areas of study that could be relevant to advancing avicultural practices, bird husbandry standards, animal welfare and conservation relevance of such populations. Research into wild birds is extremely useful for furthering how birds are managed in zoological collections. Collaboration between field-based projects that have involved zoo professionals are reviewed, to showcase information transfer from the field to the zoo and vice versa, and the ultimate benefits to aviculture and the added value that can be brought to zoo bird populations. Suggested ideas for research into specific areas of ex situ population management and conservation, and avicultural practices are provided to guide future researchers in their endeavors to ensure we have the evidence needed to care for and conserve birds as appropriately and as viably as possible.

show abstract

Evaluating the social networks of four flocks of captive flamingos over a five-year period: Temporal, environmental, group and health influences on assortment

Cited by 19 publications

References 66 publications

Influences of Rearing Environment on Behaviour and Welfare of Captive Chilean Flamingos: A Case Study on Foster-Reared and Parent-Reared Birds

Influences of Rearing Environment on Behaviour and Welfare of Captive Chilean Flamingos: A Case Study on Foster-Reared and Parent-Reared Birds

The consistency of individual centrality across time and networks in wild vervet monkeys

Evidence for Aviculture: Identifying Research Needs to Advance the Role of Ex Situ Bird Populations in Conservation Initiatives and Collection Planning

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