The superb fairy-wrens which are more exploratory are less likely to survive, a study suggests.
The study, conducted by Dr. Michelle L.Hall and other professors at University of Melbourne and the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, focuses on links between individual differences in risk-related behavior and survival.
Findings are published in the Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.
It was well studied that animals have different kinds of pace-of-life, ranging from those that live a long time but have few babies, to those that die young. However, only recent researches have begun to pay attention to behavioral difference among individuals from same species.
A long-term study system …show more content…
Birds were captured to be weighed and measured their tarsus and fourth primary pin feather length twice a year. During breeding season, researchers observed individuals weekly to monitor survival, group membership, and nesting.
At nestling stage, four variables for 459 nestlings in 195 broods in three breeding seasons were scored: isolation docility, exploration, back-test docility and breaths.
In terms of adult behaviour, 1093 texts on 678 birds between 24 January 2012 and 12 October
2014 were completed with four variables: emergence speed (the speed a bird emerged into the room), exploration area numbers, active area numbers and response to mirror
Do faster explorers dis young?
“We found support for several predictions of the pace-of-life hypothesis for personality in superb fairy-wrens. Individuals showed consistent and long term differences in risk-related behavior.” said Dr. Michelle L.
Proactive birds were more exploratory in a novel artificial environment, and more likely to rush into the room quickly, to be active, and to approach their reflection in a mirror.
“More exploratory birds had lower apparent survival than less exploratory birds. But