Wild parrots exhibit age-dependent conformity when learning about novel food

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior
• Cognitive ecology
• Social learning

Background:

• Social learning facilitates innovation spread in animal populations.
• Adoption of novel foods is crucial for species persistence and colonization of new environments.
• Social learning regarding novel food types is less understood than foraging behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate social learning in the adoption of novel food types by urban-living sulphur-crested cockatoos.
• To determine the role of social networks in the diffusion of novel food knowledge.
• To examine age-related differences in social learning strategies and the influence of social structure on foraging techniques.

Main Methods:

• A cultural diffusion experiment using novel food (almonds) presented to five roosts of individually-marked cockatoos.
• Network-based diffusion analysis to track the spread of information through social ties.
• Experience-weighted attraction models to analyze age-differences in learning strategies.
• Analysis of food opening techniques to assess similarity within and between roost communities.

Main Results:

• 349 out of 705 cockatoos learned the novel food within 10 days, primarily through social learning via social network ties.
• Juveniles exhibited a conformist bias, preferring the most common food color, unlike adults.
• Opening techniques showed greater similarity between roosts with smaller distances or higher movement, and between close associates.

Conclusions:

• Novel food adoption in urban cockatoos is driven by social transmission of knowledge through networks.
• Cognitive factors, like conformist bias in juveniles, influence food choice.
• Social networks shape foraging techniques and food preferences at local scales, demonstrating adaptive flexibility.