Data on the relationship between cognition and anti-predator behaviour in Western Australian magpies

Full description

Climate change is predicted to cause a significant increase in incidents of heat stress, which is known to impair cognitive performance. Associative learning, a highly conserved cognitive trait, is thought to underpin anti-predator behaviour, though direct empirical evidence is lacking from natural populations. If true, this would imply that environmental stressors, such as heat stress, may affect the ability of wild animals to respond to predators. However, the effect of heat stress on the link between associative learning and anti-predator behaviour has received limited empirical attention. Using wild Western Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis) as a study system, we investigated 1) whether associative learning predicts anti-predator behaviour, and 2) whether this relationship is influenced by heat stress. Associative learning was quantified using a wooden foraging grid with baited wells covered by coloured lids, with the number of trials taken for test subjects to learn to associate a food reward with a particular colour shade providing a measure of their associative learning ability. Anti-predator responses were measured using a taxidermied predator model, which allowed us to record the response of each test subject to a predator threat. These tests were conducted under both heat stress and non-heat stress conditions. We predicted that birds with better associative learning performance would respond more strongly to the simulated predator threat, but that this relationship would be significantly weakened by heat stress.

Notes

External Organisations
Flinders University; Université de Lyon; University of Exeter

Associated Persons
Edward Galluccio (Creator)Mylène Dutour (Supervisor); Alex Thornton (Other)