Objective
Vocalisations play a key communicatory role in many social species and individuals often rely on information provided by others. To avoid unnecessary costs, receivers would benefit by responding differently to signallers of different reliability, especially if the information conveyed is critical for survival. However, we know surprisingly little about how receivers assess signaller reliability and to what aspect they adjust their responses. The goal of this project is to address largely unexplored aspects of signaller reliability and the resultant decisions made by other group members, using a wild, but habituated, population of pied babblers (Turdoides bicolor), a social bird species. First, I will compare two measures of signaller reliability in terms of alarm calling (calls given to warn others of danger), to investigate whether signallers differ in their reliability in more than one way in the same context, and whether receivers respond differently depending on the element of reliability that is assessed. Second, I will examine whether foragers alter their behaviour depending on the reliability of a sentinel (an individual scanning for predators from a raised position); specifically, whether their decisions are influenced by a sentinel’s position (sentinels perched higher might be more reliable in detecting predators), and a pre-formed concept of the sentinel’s reliability in terms of alarm calling. The proposed research will greatly enhance our understanding of fundamental aspects of animal signalling and behavioural plasticity in social groups. By combining mathematical modelling with empirical data collection and experimentation, the work will be truly integrative and multidisciplinary and will result in several publications in high-ranking journals, enhancing my chances of pursuing a career path in research, one of the main objectives of the Marie Curie scheme.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology ornithology
- natural sciences mathematics applied mathematics mathematical model
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
BS8 1QU BRISTOL
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.