The bold bird gets the worm?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-09-20 03:00

New Zealand

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South Island robins appear to bolder when predators aren’t around. Researchers compared two groups of South Island robins: one in Kaikoura where mammalian predators exist, and the other on Motuara Island where there’s not a predator to be seen. The island robins were “significantly bolder” than their mainland counterparts. Robins on Motuara Island were more likely to approach mealworms placed closer to a researcher, while mainland robins were significantly slower in their time to approach the mealworms. However, the mainland robins were faster to remove five mealworms placed nearest to a researcher. The team says these differences may be driven by bolder birds having a disadvantage on the mainland since it exposes them to a higher risk of being eaten by a predator. However, they say their study couldn’t determine whether behavioural differences between Motuara Island robins and the mainland robins were due to genetic or learned influences, or a combination of both.