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Updated: Jan 4, 2026

A Method for Investigating Change Blindness in Pigeons Columba Livia
Published on: September 7, 2018
The multilevel society of a small-brained bird
Danai Papageorgiou1, Charlotte Christensen2, Gabriella E C Gall3
1Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Collective Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany; University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany; University of Konstanz, Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany; Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241-001000, Nairobi, Kenya; Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658-001000, Nairobi, Kenya.
Abstract:
Animal societies can be organised in multiple hierarchical tiers [1]. Such multilevel societies, where stable groups move together through the landscape, overlapping and associating preferentially with specific other groups, are thought to represent one of the most complex forms of social structure in vertebrates. For example, hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) live in units consisting of one male and one or several females, or of several solitary males, that group into clans. These clans then come together with solitary bachelor males to form larger bands [2]. This social structure means that individuals have to track many different types of relationships at the same time [1,3]. Here, we provide detailed quantitative evidence for the presence of a multilevel society in a small-brained bird, the vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum). We demonstrate that this species lives in large, multi-male, multi-female groups that associate preferentially with specific other groups, both during the day and at night-time communal roosts.
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