Data from: Foraging zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are public information users rather than conformists

Social learning enables adaptive information acquisition provided that it is not random but selective. To understand species typical decision-making and to trace the evolutionary origins of social learning, the heuristics social learners use need to be identified. Here, we experimentally tested the nature of majority influence in the zebra finch. Subjects simultaneously observed two demonstrator groups differing in relative and absolute numbers (ratios 1:2 / 2:4 / 3:3 / 1:5) foraging from two novel food sources (black and white feeders). We find that demonstrator groups influenced observers' feeder choices (social learning), but that zebra finches did not copy the majority of individuals. Instead, observers were influenced by the pecks of their demonstrators, and in an anti-conformist fashion. These results indicate that zebra finches are not conformist, but are public information users.

社会学习（Social learning）可实现适应性信息获取，但其前提为该过程并非随机，而是具有选择性。为阐明物种典型的决策模式，并追溯社会学习的进化起源，亟需明确社会学习者所采用的启发式策略。本研究针对斑胸草雀（zebra finch）的多数影响本质开展了实验测试。实验中，受试个体同时观察两个示范群体，二者在相对数量与绝对数量上均存在差异，比例分别为1:2、2:4、3:3、1:5，且分别从两种新型食物源（黑色喂食器、白色喂食器（feeder））处觅食。结果显示，示范群体能够对受试观察者的喂食器选择产生影响，即发生社会学习，但斑胸草雀并未模仿多数个体的行为。与之相反，受试观察者的选择会受到示范个体啄食动作的影响，且呈现反从众的倾向。本研究结果表明，斑胸草雀并非从众个体，而是公共信息使用者。