The Influence of Social Parameters on the Homing Behavior of Pigeons
The Influence of Social Parameters on the Homing Behavior of Pigeons
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DOI：
10.1371/journal.pone.0166572
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发表时间：
2016-11-15
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Rehkaemper, Gerd
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Mehlhorn, Julia;Rehkaemper, Gerd
信鸽在同一地点单独放飞几次时会形成自己的首选路线，但当随后与另一只鸽子一起放飞时，它们有时会偏离自己的首选路线。此外，团体飞行显示出比单独飞行更好的归航性能。但这些知识是基于涉及两性的研究，缺乏对交配或繁殖状况等社会参数的分析，尽管人们知道这些参数对行为和特定行为模式的动机有影响。GPS跟踪器被用来跟踪24信鸽（9对繁殖和6个未交配的女性），因为他们在不同的配对和组组合进行了熟悉的10公里的路线。效率指数（直线距离和鸽子的轨迹之间的商）的比较表明，未交配的女性表现出最好的单航班效率。一般来说，集体飞行的效率最高，其次是与异性社交伙伴的双人飞行。与配偶配对的航班表现出最差的性能。此外，就在乳鸽孵化前，与下午2点释放相比，上午8点释放时，雌性显示出更高的效率指数。我们的研究结果表明，归航飞行效率可以提供洞察个人的动机和社会参数有归航性能的影响，在一个熟悉的路线。
Homing pigeons develop preferred routes when released alone several times from the same site, but they sometimes diverge from their preferred route when subsequently released with another pigeon. Additionally, group flights show a better homing performance than solo flights. But this knowledge is based on studies involving both sexes and lacks analyses of social parameters such as mating or breeding status, even though it is known that such parameters have an influence on behavior and on motivation for specific behavioral patterns. GPS trackers were used to track 24 homing pigeons (9 breeding pairs and 6 unmated females) as they performed a familiar 10km route in various pair and group combinations. Comparisons of efficiency indices (quotient between straight-line distance and pigeon's track) reveal that unmated females show the best efficiency in single flights. Generally, group flights show the best efficiency followed by pair flights with a social partner of the opposite sex. Pair flights with the mated partner exhibit the poorest performance. Additionally, just before squabs hatching, females show a higher efficiency index when released at 8 am, compared to releases at 2 pm. Our results indicate that homing flight efficiency can provide insight into individual motivation and that social parameters have an influence on homing performance on a familiar route.