Adaptive learning and coloniality in birds

Abstract

We introduce here three complementary models to analyze the role of predation pressure in avian coloniality. Different explanations have been proposed for the existence of colonial breeding behavior in birds, but field studies offer no conclusive results. We first propose a learning model in which the decision of birds are taken according to the collective performance. The properties of the system are then studied according to a model in which birds choose according to their individual experience, and the agreement of the introduction of spatial structure with field data are then shown.