Seasonal variation in pigeon body weight and delayed matching-to-sample performance

J Exp Anal Behav. 2007 Nov;88(3):395-404. doi: 10.1901/jeab.2007.88-395.

Abstract

The weights of 5 pigeons with free access to food, monitored over 3 calendar years in the laboratory, were found to fluctuate with season. All pigeons were at their heaviest in the winter and were lightest in the summer. Five different pigeons performed a standard delayed matching-to-sample task for 44 weeks from January to November. Their weights were held at 85% of their summer free-feeding weights, making their predicted deprivation level higher in the winter relative to predicted winter free-feeding weights. Slopes of forgetting functions fit to weekly response totals for each pigeon were shallower in winter, showing an improvement in accuracy with longer delays. Thus, delayed matching-to-sample performance may have been affected by the practice of maintaining the pigeons at a constant body weight throughout the calendar year.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Weight*
  • Columbidae
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Food Deprivation*
  • Male
  • Psychomotor Performance*
  • Seasons*