P. goiavier: do they have the human adaptation gene or is it a part of their "acting" folly?

 A fledgling Pycnonotus goiavier was encountered in the twilight afternoon  perching on a knee high alugbati (Basella alba) vine. Human approach did not frighten it. In this area where pruning was recently undertaken this fledgling may not be able to fly the height of its parents' location. It needs layers of branches for its short distant flight to reach the top but unfortunately these were cut and the night is hazardous for the presence of predators such as cat etc. Thus, it was caught and taken cared for the night. The next morning can offer the bird more time to maneuver its flight towards its parents and will add to the growth length of its feathers. As usual the fledgling gave out a high pitch shrieking call to alarm its parents that it was in danger. The parents swift- flew to the site and one displayed the lame strategy (a common character for this species) so as to distract attention toward the supposedly lame parent and release the fledgling. The fledgling P. goiavier  was given a pampering soft stroke of its feathers using the human index finger repeatedly on its head, wings, back of the body as well as throat and legs.  This made this fledgling bird kept still on the palm or in one of the fingers (usually thumb (Fig. 3) or index). It seemed that the finger became its favorite perching tool. It called its parents pleasantly with short "beeps" of sounds (no more shrieking). When it was fed with sugary solution using finger dips to its beak, it swallowed one or two small drops and later cushioned its head among the feathers for it to sleep (Fig.1) still clasping its claws on the index finger. But before it was placed inside a safe box, (the fledgling still clasping its claws on the human index finger) passed by the faucet to get a drop of water using the human finger dip strategy.  The fledgling took one small gulp before it was delivered to the box for the night. How the human may be preoccupied of what was happening (inside the box). When morning came, the box was pulled out and the fledgling was heard fly- bouncing because of the movement. It was taken out carefully by a human hand and again it perched on its favorite human index finger. The human wanted to prepare  human breakfast but with this fledgling on its index finger still clasping (Fig. 2) wherever the human went was quite difficult to do. Instead a little bit of sacrifice- gave the fledgling its breakfast before it would be released to its parents. A sugary solution was prepared still the fledgling clasping on the index finger and won't exchange it for a piece of wood as a perching gadget. Using finger drips, the fledgling was able to swallow consecutive droplets of it. (By the way, these species of birds like fruits as their staple food.) Then later water drips were given. Afterwhich, the fledgling sounded off calling for its parents.  Once the parents were in the vicinity making calls for their fledgling brood,  the latter was released to them. (By  the way,  P. goiavier has a monotonous call exclusively for calling or imparting "lessons" to its fledgling brood.) It flew among the group of dried branches with its withered leaves and the parents continued calling their brood. The site where the fledgling  alighted was examined but the fledgling was no longer there. It was expected (the least) to be "friendly" as what it was.  The parents kept coming back to the site but not where it landed but somewhere at the edge which means that the parents were tenaciously following their brood.  The Passer montanus fledgling, I believe could not keep still in a human index finger but this one is different. As discussed in our published article regarding the  P. goiavier's domesticity, do you think that this new observational experience is due to a human adaptation gene (a ? for molecular ecologist) or a part of their human, etc. "pranks?" So as to say in the bird's viewpoint- "Pranks, if there is a chance therefore I am out of here, if the prank fails then I need to adapt." In addition out of curiosity, having studied generations of this species in this area, do you think there is familiarity  and this is being wired to the offspring which transform them to be quite "friendly"? Elephants have a good memory of human familiarity but I am not sure if this memory is being passed on to the off spring, etc.  Hopefully this phenomenon will be further studied by the ornithologists of the future but remember always to take care of these birds and its population even though as of now they belong to the least concern category. This is one of a few friendly bird species to humans.

*All photos are copyright registered (Only for research purposes)

Fig. 1

Fig. 2 

Fig. 3

Conclusive Remark: This observational experience has led to the theory of human familiarity for this bird species, Pycnonotus goiavier. The theory of human familiarity may be embodied in the human adaptation gene that may include passing  or wiring  of parental observational memory about a particular human to offspring  or this may be a built in behavior wherein the offspring may assume particular domesticity skills such as temporarily adapting by performing  "friendly skills" as a responsive token but later if given the chance it may alter to its "wild"  character by freeing itself from such an (temporary) adaptation.  This bird species is well known to have a  domesticity skill in reproduction. 

                                                                                                                               ~ by   I.A.T. Savillo

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