from CornellLab of Ornithology
Spend any time watching backyard bird feeders and it becomes clear that some species are more “dominant” than others. They evict other birds from a feeder or perch, usually based on size. Scientists wanted to learn if birds that have evolved to be more social have also evolved to be less aggressive. The study was published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
“We found that species’ sociality was inversely related to dominance,” said lead author Ilias Berberi from Carleton University in Canada. “Using data collected from thousands of bird-watching volunteers, we measured the sociality of different species based on their typical group size when seen at bird feeders. Though some species are often found in groups, others tend to be loners. When we examined their dominance interactions, we found that more social species are weaker competitors. Overall, the more social bird species are less likely to evict competing species from the feeders.”
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