Birds and their behavior: What the latest studies reveal about neophobia!

Birds and their behavior: What the latest studies reveal about neophobia!

An international research team has published a groundbreaking study on behavioral differences in birds in the journal PLoS Biology appears. As part of the ManyBirds project led by the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), 129 scientists from 77 institutions examined neophobia, i.e. the fear of new things, in over 130 bird species. The results show how diets and migratory behavior influence neophobia in birds, bringing both advantages and disadvantages.

The study shows that birds react differently to new situations. While species such as tits and sparrows show natural curiosity, other species flee from unknown objects. The researchers documented that birds with specialized diets, such as flamingos, exhibit higher levels of neophobia, whereas species with broader diets, such as starlings, are significantly more curious and quicker to explore new food sources. These results are particularly relevant for conservation strategies, especially as habitats and environments are continually changing.

Behavioral research and methodology

The ManyBirds project was founded in 2021 and aims to gain new insights into bird behavior and cognition. A central feature of the project is its open science approach. This promotes open collaboration across countries and institutions and places value on transparency and reproducibility. The team monitored the birds in zoos, laboratories and in the wild in 24 countries on six continents, studying a total of 1,439 birds from 136 species and 25 taxonomic orders. In Germany, birds in zoos in Detmold, Krefeld and Wuppertal, among others, were analyzed.

The method involved offering familiar food along with novel objects. The time it took the birds to touch the food was considered a measure of their neophobia. This shows that dietary specialization and wandering behavior contribute significantly to the development of neophobia. Migratory birds such as cranes often have to deal with new threats, which could be advantageous from an evolutionary point of view.

Integration into the scientific community

The ManyBirds project has already produced several scientific publications and strives to expand the representation of bird species and the international research team. It also secured £15,000 in research funding to support these initiatives. The findings from this study will be disseminated through presentations at conferences and outreach to be accessible to the general public.

The internal dynamics and scientific methodology show that cognitive research in birds has so far focused primarily on a few species. The ManyBirds initiative aims to expand this focus to often ignored groups and help improve knowledge about bird behavior. The Many Birds reports continuous updates and developments of the project, which can be followed on social platforms such as BlueSky.