What is an Arabian Babbler?
The Arabian Babbler (Argya squamiceps) is a cooperatively breeding passerine native to the middle east. They live in small, stable, highly exclusive social groups centered around a dominant breeding pair. Groups are typically composed of related individuals (principally a breeding pair and their adult offspring) but may include unrelated immigrants. Hierarchy determines (with a few, rare, exceptions) breeding status, and is positively correlated with age. Within age cohorts (clutches of siblings) hierarchy is determined early in life, around the age of fledging.
These babblers played a major role in the development of the handicap principle (Zahavi, 1975), and the banded population in the Shezaf Nature Reserve has been the focus of ongoing study for over half a century.
These babblers played a major role in the development of the handicap principle (Zahavi, 1975), and the banded population in the Shezaf Nature Reserve has been the focus of ongoing study for over half a century.
Intrabrood Rank Predicts Novel Object Approach
How does early life social experience affect individual behavior later on?
Though there are some later-life changes to this pecking order, babbler hierarchy appears to be relatively stable and linear (A is dominant to B and B is dominant to C, so A is dominant to C). The early life establishment of rank relative to age cohort peers is therefore an important factor in determining the "line of succession."
By deploying a series of stimuli in multiple modalities, we tested the relationship between early life intraclutch rank and neophilia - the preferential approach of novel stimuli. We presented both novel and familiar stimuli; stationary object (familiar: rock, novel: kitchen sponge), moving object (familiar: leaf, novel: plastic sign), and sound (familiar: call of a sympatric bird species Pycnonotus xanthopygos, novel: Glenn Miller recording of 'Pennsylvania 65000').
Our results showed that all young babblers (fledglings and juveniles) preferentially approached novel stimuli over familiar. We found a strong positive correlation among juvenile babblers between intraclutch rank and novel-object approach, supporting an association between social dominance and neophilia, and/or novel object monopolization (Fulmer et al. 2016).
Though there are some later-life changes to this pecking order, babbler hierarchy appears to be relatively stable and linear (A is dominant to B and B is dominant to C, so A is dominant to C). The early life establishment of rank relative to age cohort peers is therefore an important factor in determining the "line of succession."
By deploying a series of stimuli in multiple modalities, we tested the relationship between early life intraclutch rank and neophilia - the preferential approach of novel stimuli. We presented both novel and familiar stimuli; stationary object (familiar: rock, novel: kitchen sponge), moving object (familiar: leaf, novel: plastic sign), and sound (familiar: call of a sympatric bird species Pycnonotus xanthopygos, novel: Glenn Miller recording of 'Pennsylvania 65000').
Our results showed that all young babblers (fledglings and juveniles) preferentially approached novel stimuli over familiar. We found a strong positive correlation among juvenile babblers between intraclutch rank and novel-object approach, supporting an association between social dominance and neophilia, and/or novel object monopolization (Fulmer et al. 2016).
The function of Autopreening in Allopreening Dyads
One of the earliest codified concepts in modern ethology is the displacement behavior. In this paradigm, organisms facing uncertain conditions during decision making may choose to "take a third option." Imagine, for example, a student who arrives at a lecture which is already underway. The student may pause in the doorway, neither staying out of the room nor entering and decisively taking a seat. The student may even waver from foot to foot or scratch their head.
Similarly, a babbler might autopreen. Using a database assembled by Arnon Dattner and members of the Arabian Babbler Research Project in 2002-2004, we found that, in the formation of allopreening dyads, autopreening appears more frequently when the rank relationship is potentially uncertain, and less frequently when the rank relationship is likely to be known by both individuals (i.e. when the actor in the preening dyad - the bird initiating contact - is older than the recipient). We propose that autopreening functions as a hesitation/displacement behavior when the social benefit and/or cost of engaging in an allopreening dyad is uncertain (Fulmer & Hauber 2021).
Similarly, a babbler might autopreen. Using a database assembled by Arnon Dattner and members of the Arabian Babbler Research Project in 2002-2004, we found that, in the formation of allopreening dyads, autopreening appears more frequently when the rank relationship is potentially uncertain, and less frequently when the rank relationship is likely to be known by both individuals (i.e. when the actor in the preening dyad - the bird initiating contact - is older than the recipient). We propose that autopreening functions as a hesitation/displacement behavior when the social benefit and/or cost of engaging in an allopreening dyad is uncertain (Fulmer & Hauber 2021).