Heart rate spikes in birds who lead flock
Isabel Moussalli: In central Kenya, a flock of vulturine guinea fowl running through the bush is quite a sight.
Damien Farine: They're big birds, they're one and a half to two kilos, so like almost chicken size. In fact, they're related to the chickens and on their breasts they have this incredible blue cobalt colouring that's very vivid. I think it's one of the most striking blues in the animal kingdom.
Isabel Moussalli: ANU Associate Professor Damien Farine was also struck by how they behave. They stay with their group for life, which is more commonly seen among primates.
Damien Farine: So this cohesion that they maintain over time is really important for them. It allows them to sort of survive together and then breed together. But it also introduces new challenges for them, which is that they have to somehow reconcile the differences among group members and what to do next.
Isabel Moussalli: Using heart rate monitors and GPS trackers attached to the guinea fowl, Professor Farine and his team studied the birds over four months. They wanted to know if leading the flock comes at a cost.
Damien Farine: And what we found is that the individuals that are engaging in this leadership process or in this movement initiations, they actually in some cases have a higher heart rate. And we found this is particularly the case in situations when they're trying to lead and there's a lot of conflict about which directions to go. So when other individuals are trying to go in a very different direction at the same time.
Isabel Moussalli: The researchers found heart rates also spike when a bird tries to lead the group, fails to win them over and then has to come back. Whether vulturine guinea fowls suffer embarrassment is unclear, but those who simply wait for others to take charge may be using their bird brain.
Damien Farine: Some individuals seem to opt out from trying to lead. So either they don't necessarily need something right now and so they choose not to engage in leadership or they simply rarely engage in leadership and typically just follow what the group does. And they're probably doing this because the costs of trying actually outweigh the benefits of being successful.
Isabel Moussalli: Professor Amanda Ridley is a behavioural ecologist at the University of Western Australia and wasn't involved in this study.
Amanda Ridley: We have to be a little bit cautious when we conclude things about stress when we have elevated heart rate. Certainly it can be stress, but we need to be able to rule out excitement as well. And the study did attempt to quantify those differences and it does make the point that it is kind of a proof of concept study and it needs to be looked at more widely.
Sabra Lane: Professor Amanda Ridley from the University of Western Australia ending that report by Isabel Moussalli.
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Sabra Lane: Have you ever watched a flock of birds and wondered about the leading bird? Turns out being the leader is stressful. A new study on birds in Kenya has found spiking heart rates among those leading a flock, especially when it's an unpopular move. Isabel Moussalli prepared this report. Isabel Moussalli: In central Kenya, a flock of vulturine guinea fowl running through the bush is quite a sight. Damien Farine: They're big birds, they're one and a half to two kilos, so like almost chicken size. In fact, they're related to the chickens and on their breasts they have this incredible blue cobalt colouring that's very vivid. I think it's one of the most striking blues in the animal kingdom. Isabel Moussalli: ANU Associate Professor Damien Farine was also struck by how they behave. They stay with their group for life, which is more commonly seen among primates. Damien Farine: So this cohesion that they maintain over time is really important for them. It allows them to sort of survive together and then breed together. But it also introduces new challenges for them, which is that they have to somehow reconcile the differences among group members and what to do next. Isabel Moussalli: Using heart rate monitors and GPS trackers attached to the guinea fowl, Professor Farine and his team studied the birds over four months. They wanted to know if leading the flock comes at a cost. Damien Farine: And what we found is that the individuals that are engaging in this leadership process or in this movement initiations, they actually in some cases have a higher heart rate. And we found this is particularly the case in situations when they're trying to lead and there's a lot of conflict about which directions to go. So when other individuals are trying to go in a very different direction at the same time. Isabel Moussalli: The researchers found heart rates also spike when a bird tries to lead the group, fails to win them over and then has to come back. Whether vulturine guinea fowls suffer embarrassment is unclear, but those who simply wait for others to take charge may be using their bird brain. Damien Farine: Some individuals seem to opt out from trying to lead. So either they don't necessarily need something right now and so they choose not to engage in leadership or they simply rarely engage in leadership and typically just follow what the group does. And they're probably doing this because the costs of trying actually outweigh the benefits of being successful. Isabel Moussalli: Professor Amanda Ridley is a behavioural ecologist at the University of Western Australia and wasn't involved in this study. Amanda Ridley: We have to be a little bit cautious when we conclude things about stress when we have elevated heart rate. Certainly it can be stress, but we need to be able to rule out excitement as well. And the study did attempt to quantify those differences and it does make the point that it is kind of a proof of concept study and it needs to be looked at more widely. Sabra Lane: Professor Amanda Ridley from the University of Western Australia ending that report by Isabel Moussalli.
