Comparative Analysis of Behavioural Response of Captive-Reared and Wild-Trapped Northern Bobwhites to Simulated Predator Attacks

Author:

Reyna Kelly S.1,Newman William L.1

Affiliation:

1. Department of Biological Sciences, UNT Quail Program, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203, USA

Abstract

Isolated populations of Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) have declined causing many landowners to attempt population restoration by releasing captive-reared birds. These attempts have resulted in high mortality rates, which we hypothesised are caused by captive-reared birds exhibiting more naïve predator avoidance behaviour than wild birds. Captive-reared and wild-trapped Northern Bobwhites were subjected to raptorial and terrestrial predator simulations and their responses were recorded on high definition video. We recorded the time to predator detection, time to anti-predator defence, and reaction type for comparative analysis. Captive-reared birds detected simulated predators quicker than wild-trapped birds, but time to mount an anti-predator defence was not different between groups. The response type, however, was different between groups. Captive-reared birds typically flushed when encountering a simulated predator; yet, wild-trapped birds did not flush at all, and typically ran or held when subjected to the simulated predators. We hypothesise that flushing is a naïve anti-predator response that results in revealing of position in the presence of a threat, thereby increasing the individual risk of predation. These results potentially illuminate at least one reason why captive-reared Northern Bobwhite releases have been largely unsuccessful.

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Subject

Animal Science and Zoology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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