Version 1
: Received: 10 July 2024 / Approved: 11 July 2024 / Online: 12 July 2024 (04:12:43 CEST)
How to cite:
van Niekerk, J. H.; Forcina, G.; Megía-Palma, R. Grouping Behaviour and Anti-Predator Responses in the Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris. Preprints2024, 2024070966. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0966.v1
van Niekerk, J. H.; Forcina, G.; Megía-Palma, R. Grouping Behaviour and Anti-Predator Responses in the Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris. Preprints 2024, 2024070966. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0966.v1
van Niekerk, J. H.; Forcina, G.; Megía-Palma, R. Grouping Behaviour and Anti-Predator Responses in the Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris. Preprints2024, 2024070966. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0966.v1
APA Style
van Niekerk, J. H., Forcina, G., & Megía-Palma, R. (2024). Grouping Behaviour and Anti-Predator Responses in the Helmeted Guineafowl <em>Numida meleagris</em>. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0966.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
van Niekerk, J. H., Giovanni Forcina and Rodrigo Megía-Palma. 2024 "Grouping Behaviour and Anti-Predator Responses in the Helmeted Guineafowl <em>Numida meleagris</em>" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0966.v1
Abstract
Abstract: Little is known about landbird group dynamics in response to predation. Here, we describe the interactions between the Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) and its predators regarding the survival advantages grouping behaviour may provide. Livestream webcam observations were conducted in Madikwe Game Reserve (South Africa) from August 2020 to December 2021. Emphasis was placed on predator–prey interaction and its effect on group size and structure in a spatial framework. Although Black-Backed Jackals (Lupulella mesomelas) are not adept at hunting birds, they might negatively impact guineafowl by curtailing their feeding time during winter with constant harassment. We found that these canids often approach larger and denser groups in the morning and late evenings. Surprisingly, guineafowl most often responded by standing nearby. On the contrary, a higher predator-induced response was associated with the presence of predatory birds, arguably as part of an evolutionary stable prey-predator system. This line of thought is also supported by the lack of a precise defensive mechanism elicited by jackal attacks, unlike those of aerial predators. Nevertheless, we contend that grouping in Helmeted Guineafowl is a defensive strategy to respond to predator attacks while individuals engage in daily activities.
Biology and Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
