Vigilance responding to number of conspecifics among mixed groups of cranes in demilitarized zone

Piotr G. Jabłoński, Sangdon Lee, Elizabeth Ellwood

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Numerous studies have addressed antipredatory benefits of mixed-species flocks of foragers, but studies on individual's vigilance as a function of group size are limited. In the Cheolwon area of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, vigilance of the subordinate White-naped cranes (Grus vipio) in 11 groups composed of conspecifics and the dominant Red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis) was examined. Vigilance correlated negatively with group size due to negative correlation with the number of conspecifics, but not the dominant heterospecifics. This is consistent with the hypothesis that a decrease in vigilance in larger groups is due to antipredatory benefits from increased predator detection in larger groups (associated with the presence of a larger number of conspecifics). This suggested that the mechanism leads to canceling out of the otherwise expected antipredatory benefits to the subordinate species from the increased predator detection by larger group size (associated with larger number of dominants). This is one of only a few behavioral studies of these endangered crane species in the relatively inaccessible wintering area of international importance in the areas of high conservation value.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)118-123
Number of pages6
JournalAnimal Cells and Systems
Volume22
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 4 Mar 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

  • DMZ
  • Grus japonensis
  • Grus vipio
  • endangered species
  • group size

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