Bird Behavior and Emotional Contagion Study

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Questions and Answers

What is the observed behavior of birds in a line compared to those in a circle when it comes to antipredatory scanning?

Birds in a line are less nervous than those in a circle.
Birds in a circle are more coordinated in scanning. (correct)
Birds in a line show better coordination in scanning.
Birds in a circle do not change their body positions.

What is a likely reason for the increased nervousness observed in birds feeding in a line?

They have a better view of predators.
They cannot see the actions of all their flockmates. (correct)
They are generally more social.
They are exposed to more emotional contagion.

Which term describes the phenomenon where one bird's reactions influence the behavior of others around it?

Behavioral migration
Emotional contagion (correct)
Flock synchrony
Mimicry

How did the research conducted by Marc and his students assess the behavior of western evening grosbeaks?

<p>By analyzing their antipredatory scanning patterns. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What factor contributed to the emotional contagion phenomenon among the grosbeaks?

<p>The visibility of other birds in their formation. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Emotional Contagion in Birds

Birds reacting to the fear of another bird, without needing to assess if a threat is real.

Antipredatory Scanning

Birds' behavior of vigilance to avoid predators.

Bird Flock Formations

Different formations (lines or circles) influence bird coordination and fear levels.

Coordination in Scanning

Birds in a circle flocking formation scan more efficiently and are less fearful, than birds in a line formation.

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Fear and Visibility in Flocks

Birds in a line formation are more fearful because they cannot see all of their flockmates and therefore do not know what actions other flock members take. This makes it harder for them to coordinate their vigilance and safety strategies.

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Study Notes

Bird Behavior and Emotional Contagion

Birds exhibit emotional contagion, reacting to a startled bird's flight by following it.
They do not assess the perceived threat's validity.
This study observed Western Evening Grosbeaks.
Birds in a circular formation showed more coordinated scanning behavior than birds in a linear formation.
Linear-formation birds showed more nervousness, changing body and head positioning more frequently.
The cause of increased nervousness in the linear formation may be due to limited visibility of other flockmates' actions.
Emotional contagion is limited in linear formations (only nearest neighbors can perceive each other's actions).

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Description

Explore the fascinating phenomenon of emotional contagion in birds, specifically observed in Western Evening Grosbeaks. This quiz covers how birds react to perceived threats in different formations and the impact of visibility on their behavior. Test your knowledge about bird reactions and social dynamics in flocks.