Behaviour of newly hatched and adult Japanese quail was analyzed using
videorecordings from two experiments conducted aboard the MIR orbital
station. Weightlessness caused problems in motor behaviour of unrestr
icted quail. Especially in newly hatched quail (their entire embryogen
esis proceeded under microgravity conditions) bodily rotations and bou
ncing against the walls of the rearing device ''Nest'' did not allow t
hem to feed. The problems with movement and spontaneous feeding were n
ot so serious in adult, unrestricted birds. Although some signs of ada
ptation to microgravity could be seen, further data are necessary for
estimating possibilities of behavioural adaptation to microgravity.