Avian social foraging and cognition system

• Multi-Station System with data from individuals of the flock
• No handling of free flying individuals
• Multi-display pecking key, 16 shapes, 8 colors
• Programmable operant schedules and ratios
• Automated fine monitoring of individual weights to +/- 1 g (max. 2kgs)
• R.F.I.D. antenna beneath perch
• Grain feeder and Stimulus light
• Perch height and distance adjustable

Multi-display pecking key

The system takes advantage of the Model 80130 Multi-Display Pecking Key. This pecking key can be used for pigeons, primates, or rodents. The response key is designed to trigger a durable (100,000 activation life) microswitch with as little as 0.6 mm of movement and 50 cN of force.

The Key boasts a sixteen LED array that can display any of 16 shapes in 8 different colors. The eight colors are: Orange, Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Lilac, Turquoise, and White. The standard shapes are a cross, forward slash, back slash, square, circle, small dot, vertical bar, horizontal bar, and all on.

Intake regulation

A large body of experimental literature has shown that foraging animals are sensitive not only to their mean rate of energy intake, but also to the variation in this rate. The question of how animals regulate their food intake and weight gain, both over the course of one day, and over longer periods is a phenomenon known as risk sensitivity, and has been the subject of intense theoretical interest by both behavioural ecologists and animal psychologists.

This regulation of intake may be affected by many environmental factors as well as by the mean and variance of the food supply on which they are foraging. The grainfeeder is solenoid operated and can be used with different seed and crumb rewards. A stimulus light indicates when the feeder is in the up position.

Campden's ASFC system allows continuous study of foraging and weight regulation in free-flying birds. It can also be used to present a full range of operant tasks without need for individual caging.