A direct effect of competition on food choice by pigeons

Previous research on food choice of pigeons foraging alone and in competiti on showed an indirect response to the competitor, mediated by the resource depletion associated with the competitor. This experiment showed, in additi on, that pigeons can adjust their food choice in direct response to the com petitor itself. Pigeons foraged for large, preferred grains of maize and sm aller, unpreferred grains of wheat presented in bowls covered with sawdust. In a within-subject design; pigeons were tested alone or in competition wi th another pigeon. In competition, a higher choice proportion of the wheat grains was observed on the first two choices out of 48 items, and this effe ct increased with time in the experiment. This result underscores the role of learning in group foraging behaviour. It also suggests a possible ecolog ical implication: that individuals that learn faster may enjoy a competitiv e advantage in terms of reduced delay in responding to the presence of a co nspecific. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.