The effect of prior residence and pair bond on scrounging choices in flocks of zebra finches, Taenopygia guttata

In groups, animals can use the producer tactic to locate food patches and t he scrounger tactic to join the food discoveries of other companions. At eq uilibrium, models predict a mixture of the two tactics with equal payoffs. Several factors may constraints the use of tactics and lead to biases in sc rounging choices. I explored the effect of prior residence and pair bond as potential constraints on scrounging choices in flocks of zebra finches (Ta enopygia guttata). Experimental flocks contained two birds already establis hed in an aviary (prior residents) and two birds recently released in the a viary for the first time (new residents). All birds were previously trained to find food on a foraging grid. In the aviary, new residents followed pri or residents from perches to the grid and relied heavily on prior residents to locate food patches. Low initial success by new residents probably favo ured heavy reliance on the scrounger tactic. New residents that Formed pair bonds with prior residents foraged closer to their mates and scrounged sel ectively from their mates in some cases. Prior residence, and pair bond to a lesser extent, influenced scrounging choices in zebra finches and could l ead to deviation from the expected use of foraging tactics. (C) 2000 Elsevi er Science B.V. All rights reserved.