Reactions of captive adult great tits toward aposematic prey: effects of personality

Abstract

Individual variation in reactions to novel aposematic prey is common in avian predators. In wild adults, this variation may be caused by differences among individuals in experience with various prey, but similar variation exists in naive juveniles, and this is linked to personality-a complex of correlated, partly heritable behavioral traits that are consistent across time. Along the extremes on an axis of early exploratory behavior in great tits (Parus major), fast explorers are bold, aggressive, and routine-forming, whereas slow explorers are shy, less aggressive, and more innovative. We tested the effect of personality on innate wariness toward aposematic prey in adult hand-reared great tits from 2 lines selected for opposite levels of early exploratory behavior (fast vs. slow). The birds were offered aposematic firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus) over 2 d. Birds from both selection lines showed a similar degree of innate wariness toward the firebugs on the first day, but on the second day, fast explorers approached the firebugs significantly faster and more frequently than slow birds. Whether the birds attacked the firebugs was also dependent on their personality. Thus, personality-related individual differences in reactions of great tits toward the aposematic prey were maintained in the adult life stage. Personality affects avian responses to aposematic prey. In great tits, fast explorers are bolder, slow explorers more cautious. We tested hand-reared adults from lines selected for fast versus slow exploration. Both fast and slow birds were initially wary of aposematic firebugs, but fast explorers approached and attacked firebugs more frequently in repeated test. Although adults were less likely to attack aposematic prey than juveniles tested in a previous study, personality-related differences were maintained over time.