MAY 31,
2019
by Katie
Willis, University of
Alberta
Differences
in the personalities of birds are related to both age and experience, according
to new research by University of Alberta biologists.
The study
examined the red knot, a medium-sized shorebird that breeds in the Canadian
Arctic and winters in northwestern Europe. The researchers captured 90 birds and studied them over two
years, comparing behavioural and physiological traits of adult and juvenile
birds. Studying the two age
groups allowed the researchers to determine which changes were due to
age as opposed to time in captivity.
"During
this time, birds had the same type of life experience, including varied
diet," explained U of A biologist Kim Mathot, who is also Canada Research
Chair in Integrative Ecology.
"At
the start of the experiments, individuals showed differences in their behaviour. We
looked at whether these differences disappeared in the course of the study,
which would suggest there is something about individually variable experiences that helps
maintain differences, because in our experiments, all these birds had the same
experience."
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