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Related Experiment Videos

Circadian rhythms in house sparrows: lighting ad lib.

S Binkley, K Mosher, K B Reilly

    Physiology & Behavior
    |December 1, 1983
    PubMed
    Summary

    House sparrows, Passer domesticus, often choose to free-run their circadian rhythms when given light control, selecting shorter cycles. They also interpret ambiguous light cycles as short photoperiods.

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    Area of Science:

    • Animal behavior
    • Chronobiology
    • Avian physiology

    Background:

    • House sparrows (Passer domesticus) exhibit circadian rhythms of locomotor activity.
    • These rhythms are typically entrained by external light-dark cycles.
    • Understanding how animals self-regulate their activity patterns is crucial for chronobiology.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the self-selected lighting preferences and circadian rhythm patterns of house sparrows.
    • To determine how house sparrows interpret ambiguous light-dark cycles.

    Main Methods:

    • House sparrows were given control over their own lighting conditions to observe their choices.
    • Perch-hopping activity was monitored to assess circadian rhythms.
    • Birds were exposed to an ambiguous light-dark cycle (LDLD1:6:1:16) to test their interpretation.

    Main Results:

    • Sparrows predominantly chose circadian freerunning cycles when allowed to self-select lighting.
    • The selected freerunning period averaged 23.2 hours, shorter than in constant darkness.
    • Self-imposed photoperiods ranged from 8.2 to 10.0 hours.
    • All birds interpreted the ambiguous LDLD1:6:1:16 cycle as a short photoperiod (LD8:16).

    Conclusions:

    • House sparrows demonstrate a preference for self-selected freerunning circadian rhythms.
    • These birds consistently interpret ambiguous light cues as short photoperiods, suggesting a specific sensitivity or bias.

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