Field Notes: Another Instance of Play Behavior in Black Vultures

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

In young birds, play often mimics adult behavior, such as fighting or foraging, and occurs in a broad spectrum of birds (Fagen 1981). Further, it has been suggested that such play is a way of developing and practicing skills necessary for adult survival (Kilham 1974). So, what skills are being developed or practiced by the play behavior of the vultures in this instance? The fact that two adults joined in the card playing casts some doubt on the idea that the play was strictly for skill development. But the play does resemble the feeding methods used by Black Vultures: pecking at small scraps on the ground or on the carcass, pulling out pieces of muscle or viscera, and tearing off pieces of tendon and skin (Buckley 1999). While observing the vultures playing with the card, I also saw one bird pull at grass roots and another pick up a stick and toss it in the air. Hence some sort of play behavior may be common in Black Vultures, and although probably rooted in skill development, there may be an aspect of something analogous to pleasure in their play.

Fig. 1. Black Vultures and laminated fish identification sheet. (All photographs by the author).

Fig. 2. Black Vulture standing on card and pecking at it.

Fig. 3. Black Vulture putting beak under the card and raising it.

Fig. 4. Black Vulture standing on the card and bending it.

Fig. 5. Black Vulture bending the card vertically.

Fig. 6. Black Vulture picking up card by its edge and tossing it.

Literature Cited

Buckley, N. J. 1999. Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus). In The Birds of North America, No. 411 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). Philadelphia: The Birds of North America, Inc.
Davis, We. E., Jr. 2013. Play Behavior by Black Vultures? Bird Observer 41: 290–92.
Fagen, R. 1981. Animal Play Behavior. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kilham, L. 1974. Play in Hairy, Downy, and Other Woodpeckers. Wilson Bulletin 86: 35-42.

Ted Davis thanks John Kricher for reading an earlier draft of the manuscript.

Field Notes: Anhingas Play with Sticks and Other Plant Debris

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Play, including practice foraging, is widespread in birds (Fagen 1981) though rare in many families, such as herons (Davis 2001). Anhingas forage for fish and impale prey on their bill. They typically shake the impaled fish off their bill, toss it into the air, and then catch and swallow it headfirst. It seems likely that the Anhinga stick- tossing and catching is play that mimics adult foraging behavior and is involved in developing and practicing skills crucial for survival, as suggested by Kilham (1974) for woodpeckers. The tossing of sticks by Anhingas has been previously reported by Stevenson and Anderson (1994), but their observations were of young birds several weeks old and unable to fly. The birds I observed were substantially older and fledged.

The passing of vegetation from one Anhinga to another also has an analogue in adult Anhinga behavior. In courtship, males may pass twigs to the female, and the male also feeds the female on nest (Allen 1961). Pre-copulatory behavior includes mutual twig offerings. It seems possible that the play I witnessed may again be practice of adult behavior.

Fig, 1. Anhingas with vegetable material in their bills. (All photographs by the author).

Fig. 2. Anhingas passing flaccid plant debris.

Fig. 3. Anhinga tossing a stick.

References

Allen, T. T. 1961. Notes on the Breeding Behavior of the Anhinga, Wilson Bulletin 73(2): 115–125.
Davis, W. E. Jr. 2001. “Practice” Foraging by a Sub-adult Great Blue Heron, Florida Field Naturalist 29(3): 88–89.
Fagen, R. 1981. Animal Play Behavior. New York: Oxford University Press.
Frederick, P. C., and D. Siegel-Causey. 2000. Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga). In The Birds of North America, No. 522 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). Philadelphia: The Birds of North America, Inc.
Kilham, L. 1974. Play in Hairy, Downy, and Other Woodpeckers, Wilson Bulletin 86(1): 35–42.
Sibley, D. A. 2000. National Audubon Society: The Sibley Guide to Birds. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The Birdlife of Florida. Gainesville: University Press of Florida.

Ted Davis thanks John Kricher for reading an earlier draft of the manuscript.

August 2015

Field Notes: Another Instance of Play Behavior in Black Vultures

Literature Cited

Field Notes: Anhingas Play with Sticks and Other Plant Debris

References