Pied flycatchers learn abstract concepts from great tits – preferences transfer between wild animals
It has been unknown whether concept learning through social learning exists. Scientists at the University of Oulu and Natural Resources Institute Finland have found that wild passerine birds, the pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca), copy or reject a novel behaviour (namely the preference for either a large or a small nest-box symbol) of a competing species, great tits (Parus major), based on their age and body size. Older, small flycatcher females copied the symbol size preference of tits whereas older, large and yearling females rejected it. Possibly the quality of and overlap in resource use with the tits affected flycatchers’ decisions.
These results suggest that conceptual preferences can be horizontally transmitted across co-existing animals, which may increase the performance of individuals that utilize concept learning abilities in their decision-making. All who share the currently exploding interest in concept and social learning and their ecological and evolutionary consequences, will find this a compelling study.
Dr. Olli Loukola, joint lead author and the Associate Professor at University of Oulu, says: "Our field experiment is the first to demonstrate selective concept learning in the wild, between two competing species via social information use. It's remarkable that pied flycatchers use such a complex strategy in their nest-site decisions — it requires a sophisticated cognitive flexibility for the bird’s brain. Although pied flycatchers are solitary species, they live in communities, and they learn from each other, even from other species. These kind of interactions between species are important in the dynamics of communities”.
“I was amazed to see that flycatcher’s nest-site choices were strongly affected by their own body size, suggesting that they may exhibit some degree of self-awareness”, Loukola continues.
The research publication Conceptual preferences can be transmitted via selective social information use between competing wild bird species was published in Royal Society Open Science on June 15, 2022.
Read the research article: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220292