Fostering Learning and Adaptation through Predictability

Objective

The FLAP project explores the intricate relationship between environmental predictability, early-life conditions, and avian cognition. Environmental predictability refers to the consistency of environmental cues linked to responses, while cognitive abilities include flexibility, inhibitory control, and attentional focus. We hypothesise that birds’ early understanding of predictability can have lasting effects on their cognition and temperament. FLAP examines this question across ontogeny (how cognition is shaped by environmental factors in individual development), mechanism (how predictability affects cognition and what changes can be observed), and function (how cognition adaptations enhance fitness). We designed two research streams: one focusing on individual interactions with the environment (WP1 and WP2) and the other on the role of social dynamics (WP3 and WP4). Our models—domestic chickens, Northern African ground hornbills, and both Rhinoceros and Helmeted hornbills—enable an unprecedented comparative study across these diverse avian species, marking the first time such an approach has been undertaken. By combining insights from precocial chickens and altricial hornbills with unique breeding styles, we can understand how different life history strategies influence an individual's ability to respond to environmental (un)predictability. FLAP also provides insights for welfare and conservation combining foundational knowledge with applicative perspectives: although our models occupy opposite ends of the conservation and management spectrum, they similarly require intervention to address human-induced environmental changes. Overall, FLAP creates a powerful synergy poised to yield groundbreaking findings in both fundamental science and applied animal welfare, generating crucial insights for avian cognition and adaptability in unpredictable environments.