Selected Abstracts From the Literature

Abstract

Bird flocks may be more like us then we think, benefiting from spending time with family (kin). In this study, the authors wanted to determine whether spending time with kin increased tolerance and cooperation between parrots. While many avian species exhibit preferred associations with kin, it is often challenging to separate active preferences from passive overlap. In this study, the authors used a network approach to measure the influence of kinship on social associations and interactions in wild, communally roosting sulphurcrested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita). The roosting behaviors and social associations of 561 marked birds from 3 roosts were measured. Additionally, genetic samples were collected from 205 cockatoos to construct a kinship network. This kinship data were used to evaluate how the genetic relatedness of the birds impacted 4 social networks: association, affiliative, low-intensity aggression, and highintensity aggression. The authors found that roosting groups were clearly defined; however, they showed little genetic differentiation or kin structuring. Juveniles, and especially females, were found to repeatedly move between roosts. For both within and between roosting groups, birds preferentially associated with kin; however, they also showed direct aggression towards kin when they shared roost membership. The authors’ findings suggest that sulphur-crested cockatoos prefer to associate with kin, both within and between roosting groups, as well as reveal evidence for the social complexity in parrots.