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Author (up) Bugnyar, T.; Stöwe, M.; Heinrich, B.
Title Ravens, Corvus corax, follow gaze direction of humans around obstacles Type Journal Article
Year 2004 Publication Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Abbreviated Journal Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci.
Volume 271 Issue 1546 Pages 1331-1336
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Abstract The ability to follow gaze (i.e. head and eye direction) has recently been shown for social mammals, particularly primates. In most studies, individuals could use gaze direction as a behavioural cue without understanding that the view of others may be different from their own. Here, we show that hand–raised ravens not only visually co–orient with the look–ups of a human experimenter but also reposition themselves to follow the experimenter's gaze around a visual barrier. Birds were capable of visual co–orientation already as fledglings but consistently tracked gaze direction behind obstacles not before six months of age. These results raise the possibility that sub–adult and adult ravens can project a line of sight for the other person into the distance. To what extent ravens may attribute mental significance to the visual behaviour of others is discussed.
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Notes 10.1098/rspb.2004.2738 Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5009
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Author (up) Stöwe, M. & Kotrschal, K.
Title Behavioural phenotypes may determine whether social context facilitates or delays novel object exploration in ravens. Type Journal Article
Year 2007 Publication International Journal of Ornithology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 148 Issue Suppl 2 Pages 179-184
Keywords Corvus corax – Novel object exploration – Personality – Social facilitation
Abstract Individuals consistently differ in behavioural phenotypes. Here we examine the interaction between behavioural phenotype and response to social context during novel object exploration in a neophobic corvid species, the raven (Corvus corax). The presence of conspecifics tends to encourage object exploration and learning but may also delay or even inhibit exploratory behaviour. Factors such as individual differences in response to social context may determine whether the presence of a conspecific facilitates or inhibits approach to novel objects. We confronted eleven six-month-old hand-raised ravens with novel objects, both individually and in dyadic combinations. We defined individuals as “fast” and “slow” explorers on the basis of their approach latency to novel objects when tested individually. The presence of a conspecific delayed the approach of fast birds to novel objects. Slow birds, in contrast, approached the novel objects with lower latencies and spent more time close to them when in dyads with fast siblings than when alone. The individuals" approach behaviour seemed to determine whether social context facilitated or delayed exploratory behaviour. This may contribute to explaining ambiguous results concerning the effects of social context in previous studies.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4507
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