Studies On The Ability Of Two Corvid Species To Solve String-Pulling Task And The Foot Lateralization

In order to explore the cognitive and lateralization of birds,1 1 Oriental Magpies(Pica serica)and 17 Azure-winged Magpies(Cyanopica cyana)in captivity were tested by string-pulling and their foot preferences were annlyzed.The results showed that the ability of the two species to complete the string-pulling task was different.And there was no significant difference among the population in the direction of foot lateralization,but there was significant difference in the intensity of preference.The results are as follows:After testing,learning and training,eight Oriental Magpies and ten Azure-winged Magpies were able to get food by pulling string and might be carried on multiple-string.In the multiple-string tasks,two Oriental Magpie(namly,P5,P6)and five Azure-winged Magpies(C3,C5,C10,C11,C12)could solve the vertical parallel string task,one Oriental Magpie(P6)and three Azure-winged Magpies(C5,C10,C11)could solve the oblique parallel string task of the bait away from the midpoint of the cage wall,one Oriental Magpie(P6)tended to choose the short string in the long-short string task,and one Azure-winged Magpie(C2)could solve the cross string by learning.For tasks that the animals could not complete,simple strategies(such as preference for one-sided string)were adopted.Statistics of foot lateralization(i.e.LBI)showed that there was no significant difference in total in the string-pulling tasks of Oriental Magpie(t=-0.1 87,p=0.857,df=7),and that there were no signigicant in the string-pulling tasks(t=-0.238,p=0.818,df=9)and in the feeding(t=0.836,p=0.417,df=14)of Azure-winged Magpie.However,the foot preference intensity(i.e.ABS-LBI)of Oriental Magpie and Azure-winged Magpie was significantly different(t=5.379,p<0.001,df=7;t=5.569,p<0.001,df=9;t=6.593,p<0.001,df=14,respectively).At the first foot preference to walk of Oriental Magpies,there was no significant difference at population level in preference(t=0.836,P=0.417,df=7),but extremely significant in preference intensity(t=6.593,P<0.001,df=7).Only two Oriental magpies(P5,P11)changed their foot preference for feeding in string-pulling tasks(i.e.behavioral plasticity).In conclusion,Oriental Magpie and Azure-winged Magpie have the ability to solve the simple string-pulling tasks.And the two species have significant foot lateralization at the individual level.Some of the birds have strong preference intensity.But the foot lateralization at the population level is not significant.