Responses to environmental enrichment are associated with personality characteristics in chestnut-bellied seed finches (Sporophila angolensis)

Jaqueline E.S. Meira; Sérgio L.G. Nogueira-Filho; Michael Mendl; Stella G.C. Lima; Carole Fureix; Selene S.C. Nogueira

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104801

Responses to environmental enrichment are associated with personality characteristics in chestnut-bellied seed finches (Sporophila angolensis)

Jaqueline E.S. Meira
, Sérgio L.G. Nogueira-Filho
, Michael Mendl
, Stella G.C. Lima
, Carole Fureix
, Selene S.C. Nogueira^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Environmental enrichment (EE) is used to promote natural behaviours in captive animals and may hold promise as a form of pre-release training, a strategy for improving coping skills of translocated birds. We investigated the use of EE to enhance foraging and vigilance behaviours of captive Sporophila angolensis, which may be related to post-release survival. We also evaluated whether consistent individual behavioural differences affected birds’ responses to EE. We submitted 19 captive seed-finches to three short-term challenges: tonic immobility (TI), new environment (NE) and new object (NO) tests. TI behaviour is related to fear/escape response to potential predators and novelty tests (NE and NO) assess neophobia, which are ecologically relevant personality traits influencing the shyness-boldness continuum. We noted a pronounced variability among the individuals’ personality traits, both in their fear and escape-related responses in the TI test and along shy/bold z-scores in NE and NO tests. During a period of enrichment, birds spent more time foraging and less time in vigilance states compared with both control phases. Personality traits of the birds affected their responses to enrichment with bolder birds spending more time foraging. The EE-related decrease in vigilance was independent of the birds’ personality traits. Our findings highlight interactions between personality and rearing environment that may impact post-release outcomes for translocated animals.

Original language	English
Article number	104801
Journal	Behavioural Processes
Volume	204
Early online date	5 Dec 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104801
Publication status	Published - Jan 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We are very grateful to Mr. Denilson Costa for keep the birds so carefully. This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES - Finance Code 001 ) and National Institute of Science and Technology in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (IN-TREE – Process CNPq # 465767/2014-1 and CAPES # 23038.000776/2017-54 )), Bahia, Brazil. SSCN and SLGNF received a grant from the Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) (Processes # 303448/2019-9 and # 04226/2019-0 , respectively). We are also grateful for a UK BBSRC Brazil Partnering Award ( BB/R021112/1 ; PI: M. Mendl) for supporting the collaborative work described here.

Funding Information:
We are very grateful to Mr. Denilson Costa for keep the birds so carefully. This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES - Finance Code 001) and National Institute of Science and Technology in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (IN-TREE – Process CNPq #465767/2014-1 and CAPES #23038.000776/2017-54)), Bahia, Brazil. SSCN and SLGNF received a grant from the Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) (Processes # 303448/2019-9 and # 04226/2019-0, respectively). We are also grateful for a UK BBSRC Brazil Partnering Award (BB/R021112/1; PI: M. Mendl) for supporting the collaborative work described here.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

Birds
Conservation
Endangered species
Enriched
Interindividual behavioural differences
Reintroduction

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@article{32a8f5316475471cbd7c0610171c6d50,

title = "Responses to environmental enrichment are associated with personality characteristics in chestnut-bellied seed finches (Sporophila angolensis)",

abstract = "Environmental enrichment (EE) is used to promote natural behaviours in captive animals and may hold promise as a form of pre-release training, a strategy for improving coping skills of translocated birds. We investigated the use of EE to enhance foraging and vigilance behaviours of captive Sporophila angolensis, which may be related to post-release survival. We also evaluated whether consistent individual behavioural differences affected birds{\textquoteright} responses to EE. We submitted 19 captive seed-finches to three short-term challenges: tonic immobility (TI), new environment (NE) and new object (NO) tests. TI behaviour is related to fear/escape response to potential predators and novelty tests (NE and NO) assess neophobia, which are ecologically relevant personality traits influencing the shyness-boldness continuum. We noted a pronounced variability among the individuals{\textquoteright} personality traits, both in their fear and escape-related responses in the TI test and along shy/bold z-scores in NE and NO tests. During a period of enrichment, birds spent more time foraging and less time in vigilance states compared with both control phases. Personality traits of the birds affected their responses to enrichment with bolder birds spending more time foraging. The EE-related decrease in vigilance was independent of the birds{\textquoteright} personality traits. Our findings highlight interactions between personality and rearing environment that may impact post-release outcomes for translocated animals.",

keywords = "Birds, Conservation, Endangered species, Enriched, Interindividual behavioural differences, Reintroduction",

author = "Meira, \{Jaqueline E.S.\} and Nogueira-Filho, \{S{\'e}rgio L.G.\} and Michael Mendl and Lima, \{Stella G.C.\} and Carole Fureix and Nogueira, \{Selene S.C.\}",

note = "Funding Information: We are very grateful to Mr. Denilson Costa for keep the birds so carefully. This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES - Finance Code 001 ) and National Institute of Science and Technology in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (IN-TREE – Process CNPq \# 465767/2014-1 and CAPES \# 23038.000776/2017-54 )), Bahia, Brazil. SSCN and SLGNF received a grant from the Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) (Processes \# 303448/2019-9 and \# 04226/2019-0 , respectively). We are also grateful for a UK BBSRC Brazil Partnering Award ( BB/R021112/1 ; PI: M. Mendl) for supporting the collaborative work described here. Funding Information: We are very grateful to Mr. Denilson Costa for keep the birds so carefully. This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES - Finance Code 001) and National Institute of Science and Technology in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (IN-TREE – Process CNPq \#465767/2014-1 and CAPES \#23038.000776/2017-54)), Bahia, Brazil. SSCN and SLGNF received a grant from the Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) (Processes \# 303448/2019-9 and \# 04226/2019-0, respectively). We are also grateful for a UK BBSRC Brazil Partnering Award (BB/R021112/1; PI: M. Mendl) for supporting the collaborative work described here. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2023",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104801",

language = "English",

volume = "204",

journal = "Behavioural Processes",

issn = "0376-6357",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Responses to environmental enrichment are associated with personality characteristics in chestnut-bellied seed finches (Sporophila angolensis)

AU - Meira, Jaqueline E.S.

AU - Nogueira-Filho, Sérgio L.G.

AU - Mendl, Michael

AU - Lima, Stella G.C.

AU - Fureix, Carole

AU - Nogueira, Selene S.C.

N1 - Funding Information: We are very grateful to Mr. Denilson Costa for keep the birds so carefully. This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES - Finance Code 001 ) and National Institute of Science and Technology in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (IN-TREE – Process CNPq # 465767/2014-1 and CAPES # 23038.000776/2017-54 )), Bahia, Brazil. SSCN and SLGNF received a grant from the Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) (Processes # 303448/2019-9 and # 04226/2019-0 , respectively). We are also grateful for a UK BBSRC Brazil Partnering Award ( BB/R021112/1 ; PI: M. Mendl) for supporting the collaborative work described here. Funding Information: We are very grateful to Mr. Denilson Costa for keep the birds so carefully. This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES - Finance Code 001) and National Institute of Science and Technology in Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in Ecology and Evolution (IN-TREE – Process CNPq #465767/2014-1 and CAPES #23038.000776/2017-54)), Bahia, Brazil. SSCN and SLGNF received a grant from the Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) (Processes # 303448/2019-9 and # 04226/2019-0, respectively). We are also grateful for a UK BBSRC Brazil Partnering Award (BB/R021112/1; PI: M. Mendl) for supporting the collaborative work described here. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2023/1

Y1 - 2023/1

N2 - Environmental enrichment (EE) is used to promote natural behaviours in captive animals and may hold promise as a form of pre-release training, a strategy for improving coping skills of translocated birds. We investigated the use of EE to enhance foraging and vigilance behaviours of captive Sporophila angolensis, which may be related to post-release survival. We also evaluated whether consistent individual behavioural differences affected birds’ responses to EE. We submitted 19 captive seed-finches to three short-term challenges: tonic immobility (TI), new environment (NE) and new object (NO) tests. TI behaviour is related to fear/escape response to potential predators and novelty tests (NE and NO) assess neophobia, which are ecologically relevant personality traits influencing the shyness-boldness continuum. We noted a pronounced variability among the individuals’ personality traits, both in their fear and escape-related responses in the TI test and along shy/bold z-scores in NE and NO tests. During a period of enrichment, birds spent more time foraging and less time in vigilance states compared with both control phases. Personality traits of the birds affected their responses to enrichment with bolder birds spending more time foraging. The EE-related decrease in vigilance was independent of the birds’ personality traits. Our findings highlight interactions between personality and rearing environment that may impact post-release outcomes for translocated animals.

AB - Environmental enrichment (EE) is used to promote natural behaviours in captive animals and may hold promise as a form of pre-release training, a strategy for improving coping skills of translocated birds. We investigated the use of EE to enhance foraging and vigilance behaviours of captive Sporophila angolensis, which may be related to post-release survival. We also evaluated whether consistent individual behavioural differences affected birds’ responses to EE. We submitted 19 captive seed-finches to three short-term challenges: tonic immobility (TI), new environment (NE) and new object (NO) tests. TI behaviour is related to fear/escape response to potential predators and novelty tests (NE and NO) assess neophobia, which are ecologically relevant personality traits influencing the shyness-boldness continuum. We noted a pronounced variability among the individuals’ personality traits, both in their fear and escape-related responses in the TI test and along shy/bold z-scores in NE and NO tests. During a period of enrichment, birds spent more time foraging and less time in vigilance states compared with both control phases. Personality traits of the birds affected their responses to enrichment with bolder birds spending more time foraging. The EE-related decrease in vigilance was independent of the birds’ personality traits. Our findings highlight interactions between personality and rearing environment that may impact post-release outcomes for translocated animals.

KW - Birds

KW - Conservation

KW - Endangered species

KW - Enriched

KW - Interindividual behavioural differences

KW - Reintroduction

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85143722305

U2 - 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104801

DO - 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104801

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 36470329

AN - SCOPUS:85143722305

SN - 0376-6357

VL - 204

JO - Behavioural Processes

JF - Behavioural Processes

M1 - 104801

ER -

Responses to environmental enrichment are associated with personality characteristics in chestnut-bellied seed finches (Sporophila angolensis)

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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