Data from: Developmental stress predicts social network position

The quantity and quality of social relationships, as captured by social
network analysis, can have major fitness consequences. Various studies
have shown that individual differences in social behaviour can be due to
variation in exposure to developmental stress. However, whether these
developmental differences translate to consistent differences in social
network position is not known. We experimentally increased levels of the
avian stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) in nestling zebra finches in a
fully balanced design. Upon reaching nutritional independence, we released
chicks and their families into two free-flying rooms, where we measured
daily social networks over five weeks using passive integrated transponder
tags. Developmental stress had a significant effect on social behaviour:
despite having similar foraging patterns, CORT chicks had weaker
associations to their parents than control chicks. Instead, CORT chicks
foraged with a greater number of flock mates and were less choosy with
whom they foraged, resulting in more central network positions. These
findings highlight the importance of taking developmental history into
account to understand the drivers of social organization in gregarious
species.