Aggressive and territorial behaviour in captive zebra finches

Abstract

1. Aggressive behaviour has been studied in captive communities of the Zebra Finch Taenopygia guttata. Peck-orders of dominance are established in non-breeding flocks but they are only semi-permanent and may change from one day to the next. 2. In both mixed flocks of cocks and hens and homosexual flocks, there is reduced aggression between birds that pair with one another. Homosexual pairs behave like normal heterosexual pairs in the sense that they clump together and allopreen one another. 3. Breeding birds behave territorially and the majority of aggression is in defence of the area around the nest. Young birds mature rapidly and may attempt to breed when they are less than three months old. © 1970 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.