A songbird strategically modifies its blinking behavior when viewing human faces. Academic Article

abstract

• Even though blinking is necessary to maintain clear vision in many species, blinking is likely costly because it temporarily impairs vision. Given this cost, individuals can strategically modify their blinking behavior to minimize information loss. We tested whether a songbird species modifies its blinking behavior when viewing potential threats (human faces). We recorded the blinking behavior of captive great-tailed grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) before, during, and after they viewed human face stimuli or control stimuli (tree bark as well as scrambled versions of human faces and tree bark). We found that the birds inhibited their blinking behavior the most when viewing human faces versus controls. In addition, they inhibited their blinking behavior more when viewing human faces that were directed rather than averted. Furthermore, when viewing the human faces, their blinking behavior was modified based on reactivity. These results suggest that a songbird can strategically modify its blinking behavior based on its perceived level of risk.

authors

• Yorzinski, Jessica

published proceedings

• Anim Cogn

altmetric score

• 3.25

author list (cited authors)

• Yorzinski, J. L., Walker, M. K., & Cavalier, R.

citation count

• 1

complete list of authors

• Yorzinski, Jessica L||Walker, Mary K||Cavalier, Rebecca

publication date

• July 2021

publisher

• Springer Nature  Publisher

published in

• Animal Cognition  Journal

keywords

• Animals
• Antipredator Behavior
• Attention
• Blinking
• Eye Blink
• Gaze
• Head Movement
• Humans
• Passeriformes
• Songbirds
• Threat
• Vision, Ocular

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1007/s10071-021-01476-6

start page

• 787

end page

• 801

volume

• 24

issue

• 4

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10071-021-01476-6