Is food recognition in an unfamiliar environment a long-term effect of stimulus or local enhancement? A study in the juvenile canary

The processes involved in the social transmission of recognition and consumption of hemp seeds were investigated in juvenile canaries (Serinus canarius). The combined influences of observation of a parent feeding, presence of parent and accessibility of seeds on future seed consumption were investigated in six experimental conditions (each employing 15 individuals). We found that: (i) local enhancement and social facilitation were not required for social transmission, (ii) transmission took place if the juvenile observed seeds in the vicinity of the parent, whether the seeds were accessible or not (mere presence effect). Accessibility, however, did favour transmission; (iii) observation of a parent feeding was sufficient for social transmission of information even if the seeds were not available during interactions with the adult. The juvenile thus appeared to recognise seeds by stimulus enhancement, and this recognition was maintained in both space and time. The various interactions with adults enabled the juveniles to identify edible objects even in an unfamiliar environment. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.