Social Learning and Culture in Birds (class Aves)

Abstract

Abstract Birds have emerged as important experimental systems for the study of culture and cultural evolution. There is also increasing evidence from wild birds of social learning, cultural inheritance, and culture across diverse taxa and behavioural domains. In this chapter the author reviews these dual literatures, focusing on three behavioural domains where most work has been concentrated: vocalizations, migration, and foraging. The author then discusses how studies in birds have shown that the spread of innovations and establishment of new cultures can be a source of behavioural flexibility in novel environments. The author ends with recommendations for future research directions and by highlighting how research in birds has the exciting potential to elucidate the evolutionary ecology of social learning and culture.