Individual differences in activity and exploration influence leadership inpairs of foraging zebra finches

This study investigated the role of dominance and level of activity and exp loration on leadership in zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata) searching for food. In pairs of zebra finches Fairly matched in size and that experienced the same level of food deprivation, the same bird consistently reached fir st one foraging patch over several trials. The same pattern of arrival to f ood occurred when resources were provided in two distant patches available concurrently, a situation that would potentially allow subordinates a great er access to resources. In further testing, the formation of new pairs with the same birds led to several changes in leadership, indicating that leade rship is not an absolute feature. The member of a pair that proved to be th e most active and exploratory during independent, solitary trials became th e leader in nearly all pairs rested. The same pattern held true in newly re arranged pairs where individuals often experienced changes in dominance sta tus. Dominance failed to be associated with leadership in all tests. The re sults suggest that in a relatively egalitarian species, level of activity a nd exploration may be a stronger predictor of leadership than dominance.