Cognitive ethology of birds

We study how singing birds deal with dangers they have to face in their natural environment. We focus specifically on how birds react to unsuitable or dangerous prey, how they defend themselves against their predators and how the males confront their sexual rivals. Beyond the description of these behaviors we study the mechanisms by which birds recognize danger based on visual and acoustic signals. We conduct our field experiments in summer (experiments by the nests) and in winter (experiments by the feeders). Our model species are great tit (Parus major) and red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio), we however study other species too, especially corvids and raptors, but also owls and terns.

Head: RNDr. Roman Fuchs, CSc.
e-mail: fuchs@prf.jcu.cz
tel.: +420 387 772 243

Researches:
MSc. Petr Veselý, Ph.D.
MSc. Jan Havlíček
MSc. Tereza Hromádková
MSc. Tomáš Minařík
MSc. Alexandra Průchová
MSc. Michaela Syrová

Collaborating istitutions:
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague; Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna; Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle

Selected posters:
Recognition & discrimination of prey by great tits (Parus major) (Karlíková et al., 2012)
How to recognize a predator: to use features or concept? (Beránková et al., 2012)
Kognitivní schopnosti ptáků založené na abstraktních zrakových stimulech (Nácar et al., 2010)

References:
Center of Cognitive Ethology