Sleeping Gulls Monitor The Vigilance Behaviour Of Their Neighbours

Main Category: Veterinary
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 22 Oct 2008 - 5:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Individuals in groups are often thought to scan their surroundings for predation threats independently of one another. However, foragers could monitor the vigilance level of their neighbours to prevent cheating and to gather information about incipient predation risk.

Here, I examined changes in vigilance in sleeping gulls surrounded by neighbours in various states of alertness. Gulls interrupted sleep more often to scan their surroundings, and were therefore more vigilant, when their neighbours were alert rather than sleeping or preening.

The results provide evidence for copying of vigilance within groups of birds, suggesting communication about predation risk in groups.

Royal Society Journal Biology Letters

Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.

www.publishing.royalsociety.org/biologyletters