Predator discrimination and anti-predator behaviour by wintering parids: an experimental study

Abstract

Abstract. Even though birds' perceptions of risk are biased towards starvation avoidance in winter, recognition of the level of threat of a predator is an important precondition. To investigate the ability of three tit species (Blue Cyanistes caeruleus, Great Parus major and Willow Tits Poecile montanus) to recognise dangerous and harmless objects, I studied their mobbing reaction and the latency of the tits to return to the feeder after being exposed to life like models of Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, Siberian Jay Perisoreus infaustus and Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus, birds similar in size (about 30 cm) but differing widely from each other in feeding. The mobbing level was higher and the latency time of each of the tit species were significantly longer after presenting the Sparrowhawk than the Siberian Jay, whereas the woodpecker aroused no specific reaction. The tits apparently recognised the individual predator species and made decisions on their perceptions of the threat level.

Olfactory recognition of snake cues by fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rats Melomys cervinipes

“…This contrasts other studies showing that some animals can discriminate between different types of predators. For example, dwarf chameleons Bradypodion taeniabronchum showed different colour responses to boomslang Dispholidus typus or fiscal shrike Lanius collaris models (Stuart-Fox et al, 2008), and blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus, great tits Parus major and willow tits Poecile montanus spent more time mobbing a more dangerous sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus than a less dangerous Siberian jay Periosoreus infaustus (Hogstad, 2017). Instead, our results suggest two possibilities: 1) Mosaic-tailed rats can discriminate between snakes, but choose not to act on the information.…”

Behavioral responses to conspecific mobbing calls are predator‐specific in great tits (Parus major)

“…In addition, a study by van Oers, Klunder, and Drent () showed that female great tits take longer to return to feeding after being startled when being with a male, but males decrease their latency time when being accompanied by another male. Hence, similar to other species (Griesser & Ekman, ; Hogstad, ) great tits males might be willing to take higher risks in a predation context than females. This might be explained by males being more territorial and therefore the habitat is of higher value for the male than the female (Regelmann & Curio, ).…”

“…Therefore, Curio et al's () results are in line with ours, which suggests that the responses may be either species‐specific or predator‐specific because different predators (to ours) were used in the North American context (Templeton et al, ). Hogstad () showed that tits have a longer latency time to return back to a feeder after seeing a sparrowhawk dummy than after seeing a less‐dangerous Siberian jay ( Perisoreus infaustu ) or a nonthreatening three‐toed woodpecker ( Picoides tridactylus ). These and our results combined suggest that great tits, in contrast to other species, might use a “better safe than sorry” strategy, that is stay farther away from high‐threat predators to reduce predation risk during mobbing.…”