Abstract
We compared the ability of coal tits, Parus ater (a food-storing species), great tits, P. major, and blue tits, P. caeruleus (two nonstoring species) to remember spatial locations in a spatial delayed-matching-to-sample task. Presentation of a single sample image on a touch screen was followed by a choice phase containing two, three or four images, in which the bird had to choose the original image. Storers made more correct choices than did nonstorers. Performance was affected by the proximity of the distracters: both groups performed less well when distracters were close to the sample although storers were less affected by proximity of distracters than were nonstorers. Both groups made correct decisions sooner than errors. We conclude that the accuracy of spatial memory in food-storing birds is greater than that of nonstorers. (C) 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 727-734 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Animal Behaviour |
Volume | 58 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 1999 |
Keywords
- BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES
- MARSH TITS
- MEMORY
- LOCATION
- CUES
- PIGEONS
- LANDMARKS
- COLOR
- NUTCRACKERS
- CACHES