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The discrimination of natural movement by budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulates) and pigeons (Columba livia).

Mui, R.; Haselgrove, M.; McGregor, A.; Futter, J.E.; Heyes, C.M.; Pearce, J.M.

Authors

R. Mui

M. Haselgrove

J.E. Futter

C.M. Heyes

J.M. Pearce



Abstract

Three experiments examined the ability of birds to discriminate between the actions of walking forwards and backwards as demonstrated by video clips of a human walking a dog. Experiment 1 revealed that budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulates) could discriminate between these actions when the demonstrators moved consistently from left to right. Test trials then revealed that the discrimination transferred, without additional training, to clips of the demonstrators moving from right to left. Experiment 2 replicated the findings from Experiment 1 except that the demonstrators walked as if on a treadmill in the center of the display screen. The results from the first 2 experiments were replicated with pigeons in Experiment 3. The results cannot be explained if it is assumed that animals rely on static cues, such as those derived from individual postures, in order to discriminate between the actions of another animal. Instead, this type of discrimination appears to be controlled by dynamic cues derived from changes in the posture of the demonstrators.

Citation

Mui, R., Haselgrove, M., McGregor, A., Futter, J., Heyes, C., & Pearce, J. (2007). The discrimination of natural movement by budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulates) and pigeons (Columba livia). Journal of experimental psychology, 33(4), 371-380. https://doi.org/10.1037/0097-7403.33.4.371

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date 2007-10
Journal Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes
Print ISSN 0022-1015
Electronic ISSN 1946-1941
Publisher American Psychological Association
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 33
Issue 4
Pages 371-380
DOI https://doi.org/10.1037/0097-7403.33.4.371
Keywords Movement discrimination, Budgerigars, Pigeons, Dynamic cues.
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1538270



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