BIRD BEHAVIOR

CREATED BY :Irma Erviana071 404 166

CHAPTER IINTRODUCTION

Every time we interact with our bird, we affect its behavior, that is, we

influence its behavior. Sometimes this is positive, sometimes negative. At times, we

do this with intention, many times not. But most certainly, we do affect its behavior.

Understanding bird behavior may appear to be easier than it is. It is based on

interpreting the birds' instincts and natural habits. Many parrot owners experience

the reoccurring problem of misinterpreting their bird's behavior. They credit their

birds with having the same intelligence and behavioral characteristics as human

beings.

Bird behavior refers to the actions of a bird in response to environmental

situations. Some bird behavior is instinctive, whilst other behavior is learned.

Behavior includes caring for itself, feeding and interaction with others (birds,

humans, other animals). To develop a happy and satisfying relationship with your

pet bird it is important to understand its behavior. Birds view people as part of their

flock and therefore act accordingly. Dominant behavior by birds is displayed when

the bird believes it is head of the pecking order. It is thus very important to establish

the pecking order with your bird as the subordinate. A dominant bird may develop

“bad” behavior such as biting or screeching. It may feel it needs to defend its

territory against disliked people and attack them. Such behavior by birds can be

avoided by keeping the top of the bird’s head level with your chest. Do not allow it

to perch above you or on your shoulder as this encourages dominant behavior. Bird

behavior can often be interpreted, much like a foreign language. Tongue clicking is

an invitation to interact. Grinding of the beak indicates contentment. Panting is a

sign that a bird is overheated or perhaps uncomfortable. A sharp flick of the wings

demonstrates annoyance. Observe your pet bird’s behavior carefully and you will

gain much insight into its state of mind and general well-being.

When teaching a bird a behavior, many humans use the same methods they

would use to train the family dog. This method in many cases is based on

dominance, a negative reinforce. Birds, like cats, respond best to positive

reinforcement. The most rewarding approach for trainers and bird alike is to

encourage the bird to learn the desired behavior using positive reinforcement.

Dominance has very little use in bird training. Training a desirable bird behavior is

a bit more difficult than just giving a bird a treat when it does something right.

There are some key elements that are important in training new behaviors.

CHAPTER IIDISCUSSION

An animal which observed are pigeons and doves, in below we can see the

behaviors of pigeon.

1. Courtship Behavior

bowing  The male puffs out his neck feathers. He lowers his head and bows several times while he circles a female.

tail-dragging  The male spreads his tail and runs after the female, dragging his tail on the ground.

driving  The male runs close behind a female, to move her away from other males.

billing  The female puts her bill (beak) inside the male's bill. Then the two birds move together in rhythm, bobbing their heads up and down. Billing happens just before mating.

mating  The female bends down and the male climbs on top of her. He will flap his wings to keep his balance. The male stays on the female for a few seconds.

 

display flight  After mating, the male flies up and claps his wings together over his back. This makes a clapping sound.

2. Feeding Behavior

Bird feeding behavior may change due to temperature, season and time of

day. This is especially evident in the feeding behavior of garden birds. In winter

they are more likely to make use of bird feeders due to a lack of natural food

sources. Your pet bird may begin bobbing his/her head when hungry or excited by

the prospect of being fed. Many birds expect to be fed at a certain time every day.

Some species are very messy feeders and feed with great enthusiasm.

3. Defecation Behavior

Defecation is the final act of digestion by which organisms eliminate solid,

semisolid or liquid waste material (feces) from the digestive tract via the cloacae.

Like many fruit-eating birds, these species have a relatively simple digestive tract,

so that the seed passes through the bird rather quickly. In the bird defecation usually

occurs 4-12 minutes after ingestion. Even so, the bird digests a significant amount

of glucose from the sticky layer, which is still intact when the seed is defecated. The

seeds therefore emerge from the bird intact and undamaged. The mistletoe bird

performs a number of twisting movements when defecating, wiping the seeds on to

the branch on which the bird is perched, rather than dropping them to the ground.

The sticky layer dries and cements the seed in place on the branch, where it

germinates spontaneously. It is thought that there are germination inhibitors in the

fruit coat which prevent premature germination before ingestion. The mistletoe

plant and the mistletoe bird thus show complementary adaptations for mutual

benefit, the plant attaining efficient dispersal and the bird ensuring a continuing

food supply.

4. Social Behavior

Sea birds often gather in huge colonies to nest and to rear young. Land

birds, except for birds such as starlings and rooks, tend to seek isolation for rearing

their brood. Birds that isolate during breeding may congregate for migration or

feeding.

There are many advantages for flocking together:

a. mutual protection from enemies,

b. greater ease in finding mates,

c. less opportunity for an individual straying during migration and

d. mass huddling for protection against low night temperatures during migration

Organized social interactions of birds are most noticeable during breeding

season; they stake out territory, select mates, build nests, incubate and hatch eggs,

and rear young. Sometimes social behavior is exhibited by groups of males or

females during the breeding season. In some cases, males may band together and try

to chase the dominant male away so they have a better chance of mating success. In

other instances, males are known to cooperate in making their courtship displays.

Birds often perform their courtship display in pairs, even though only one of the

turkeys ends up doing most of the mating. Why would the unsuccessful male agree

to help? The two male pigeons are usually brothers. Since brothers share about 50

percent of the same genes, even if only one brother mates, many of the genes of the

unsuccessful brother are passed on too. In some species, the females form social

groups during the breeding season. In certain circumstances, females will look after

one another's offspring while the other mother goes out to find food.

In other species, such as lemurs, females may form social groups as a kind

of defense. Males of some lemur species will try to kill the offspring of females that

mated with another male. By banding together, the females are sometimes able to

ward off the attacking male. Many animals form social groups only during certain

times of the year. Many bird species flock together in foraging groups in the winter.

However, these same birds that sought one another out in the winter set up breeding

territories in the spring and will go to great lengths to keep the same birds out of

their territory. Thus, for many species, social behavior is a flexible form of animal

behavior, one that can be adopted or abandoned depending on the conditions of the

environment and the time of year.

5. Sexual Behavior

Male bird sperm is produced in two testes that lie beneath the kidneys.

Sperm passes through small tubes called Vasa differentia into the males cloaca.

During mating the male presses his cloaca to the females and releases sperm.

Females single ovary releases eggs into a long, funnel-shaped oviduct where they

are fertilized by sperm.

6. Nesting and Care of Young

Nearly all birds lay eggs that must be incubated by one or both parents. Eggs

of most songbirds require 14 days for hatching; those of ducks and geese may

require a month. Often the female performs most of the duties of incubation; rarely

the male has equal or sole duties. Some birds merely lay eggs on bare ground or

rocks. Others build elaborate nests using mud, lichens, brush, etc. Nests are often

carefully concealed from enemies.

CHAPTER IIIOBSERVATION METHOD

A. Time and Place

Day / Date : Saturday / April 17th, 2010

Time : 04.10 pm until 06.00 pm.

Place : Social Building in Bantimurung, Maros.

B. Tool and Material

1. Tools :

a. Pen

b. Book

c. Camera

. 2. Material :

Pigeon

C. Picture

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anonima. 2010. http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/1998/6/pigeons.cfm

Anonimb. 2010. http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00245.htm

Anonimc. 2010. http://www.strombergschickens.com/stock/beginning_

pigeon_info.php

Anonimd. 2010. http://psychclassics.asu.edu/Skinner/Pigeon/

Anonime. 2010. http://ux.brookdalecc.edu/staff/sandyhook/dgrant/field/wading.htm

Anonimf. 2010. http://www.indiana.edu/~aviary/Research.htm