Data from: Eurasian tree sparrows are more food neophobic and habituate to novel objects more slowly than house sparrows

Most research on the variables that allow for introduced species to
succeed and become invasive has focused on environmental and ecological
factors. Fewer studies have assessed the roles of behavioral and cognitive
traits. To help fill this knowledge gap, we studied neophobia, aversive
behavior towards novelty, in the non-native Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer
montanus), and compared results to previous work in a more successful
invasive congener, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). We assessed the
neophobia of wild-caught Eurasian tree sparrows by measuring their
responses to novel objects and novel foods and their ability to habituate
to initially novel objects. We predicted that Eurasian tree sparrows, as
less successful invaders, would overall be more neophobic than house
sparrows. Although we did not observe differences in neophobia towards
novel objects in the two species, Eurasian tree sparrows were
significantly less willing than house sparrows to try novel foods.
Eurasian tree sparrows were also slower to habituate to repeated
presentations of the same initially novel object compared to house
sparrows. Multiple factors certainly influence invasion success, but our
results suggest that neophobia might limit the success of an introduced
species in novel environments.