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Dominance behavior within captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Thiele, Claire Elizabeth
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1526413821772221

Abstract Details

2018, BS, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences.
In zebra finches, dominance behavior can be beneficial to determine rank within a social group. These behaviors allow stronger and physically fit individuals to benefit from prime selection of food, mates, shelter, and other resources. In this species, fitness is measured by indices such as age, mass, tarsus length, wing chord length, and plumage but it is not entirely clear how these factors may contribute to agonistic behaviors. A group of captive male zebra finches were observed during and after a feeding context with birds that were familiar and unfamiliar to each other. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) Birds in the familiar social group will initiate more aggressive behaviors and have more individuals feeding at food dish as compared to the unfamiliar group; (2) Birds with the greatest amount of fitness indicators in both social groups will initiate the most aggressive behaviors, spend more time at the food dish, and prefer the higher perch location. Results indicated that familiar birds initiate more dominant behaviors than unfamiliar birds. Age and tarsus length significantly influenced the number of initiated aggressive behaviors, while mass and wing chord length had no effect. Furthermore, dominant birds spent more time at the food dish as compared to the subordinate bird, however, birds in neither group exhibited a spatial perch preference. This study highlights the social dynamic differences amongst familiar and unfamiliar birds as well as dominant and subordinate individuals.
Sean Veney (Advisor)
Mary Ann Raghanti (Committee Member)
Andrea Case (Committee Member)
Allison Smith (Committee Member)
32 p.
Animal Sciences; Animals; Behavioral Sciences; Biology; Zoology
dominance behavior; social behavior; zebra finch; fitness

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Thiele, C. E. (2018). Dominance behavior within captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) [Undergraduate thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1526413821772221

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Thiele, Claire. Dominance behavior within captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) . 2018. Kent State University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1526413821772221.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Thiele, Claire. "Dominance behavior within captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) ." Undergraduate thesis, Kent State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1526413821772221

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ksuhonors1526413821772221
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© 2018, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University Honors College and OhioLINK.