Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T08:35:56.649Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Zebra Finch Behaviour and Effect of Modest Enrichment of Standard Cages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

H Jacobs ,
N Smith ,
P Smith ,
L Smyth ,
P Yew ,
P Saibaba  and
J Hau
H Jacobs
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College (University of London), Royal College Street, London NW1 OTU, UK
N Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College (University of London), Royal College Street, London NW1 OTU, UK
P Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College (University of London), Royal College Street, London NW1 OTU, UK
L Smyth
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College (University of London), Royal College Street, London NW1 OTU, UK
P Yew
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College (University of London), Royal College Street, London NW1 OTU, UK
P Saibaba
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College (University of London), Royal College Street, London NW1 OTU, UK
J Hau*
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College (University of London), Royal College Street, London NW1 OTU, UK
*
† Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Zebra finches are often housed in monogamous pairs in small barren cages. In the present study it was investigated whether modest enrichment resulted in behavioural changes. Four plywood box cages of two different lengths were compared. A small and a large cage were used for the barren environment. Another small and large cage were used for the enriched environment, and included additional perches, twigs as well as sand and water baths. An ethogram consisting of 19 different behavioural patterns was used. The behaviour of the birds was studied using a combination of alternating (20s) one-zero and instantaneous sampling, one hour per day during a continuous four-week period.

Locomotor activity, vocalization and singing was significantly increased in the enriched cages and flying was more frequent in the large enriched cage than in any of the other cages. The study demonstrated the usefulness of behavioural analyses to determine to what extent simple enrichment allows the birds to exhibit a wider range of their natural behaviour.

Keywords

animal welfarebehaviourcage enrichmentzebra finches
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , February 1995 , pp. 3 - 9
Copyright
© 1995 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Birkhead, T R 1988 Extra-pair copulation and sperm competition in the zebra finch. Nature 334: 60–62CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blackwell, C 1988 Keeping and Breeding Zebra Finches. Biandford Press: London, New York and SydneyGoogle Scholar
Enehjelm C af 1956 Colour-breeding with zebra finches. Foreign Birds 22: 164–172Google Scholar
Immelmann, K 1972 Australian Finches in Bush and Aviary. Angus and Robertson: Sydney, London, Melbourne, Brisbane and SingaporeGoogle Scholar
Martin, P and Bateson, P 1993 Measuring Behaviour: An introductory guide, 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press: CambridgeCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morris, D 1954 The reproductive behaviour of the zebra finch (Poephila guttata), with special reference to pseudo-female behaviour and displacement activities. Behaviour 6: 271–321CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russell, W M S and Burch, R L 1959 The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique. Methuen & Co Ltd: London (Republished by UFAW, 1992)Google Scholar
Saibaba, P, Sales, G D, Stodulski, G and Hau, J 1995 Behaviour of rats in their home cages: day-time variations and effects of routine husbandry procedures analysed by time sampling techniques. Laboratory Animals (accepted for publication)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scheuhammer, A M 1988 Chronic dietary toxicity of methylmercury in the zebra finch Poephila guttata. Bulletin Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 40: 123–130CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed