. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1998 Bryan: Inspection of Snakes by Nuthatches 227. Figure 1. The models used in the experiment, left to right: realistic snake model, the crude snake models, and the novel objects. pool to drink. Table 1 shows that both species inspected snake models more frequently than novel objects or no model when data for crude and realistic snakes are pooled and compared with no model and novel objects. For Pygmy Nuthatches all individual comparisons between each snake model and each control are also statistically significant (chi squares , p<), whereas fo
. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1998 Bryan: Inspection of Snakes by Nuthatches 227. Figure 1. The models used in the experiment, left to right: realistic snake model, the crude snake models, and the novel objects. pool to drink. Table 1 shows that both species inspected snake models more frequently than novel objects or no model when data for crude and realistic snakes are pooled and compared with no model and novel objects. For Pygmy Nuthatches all individual comparisons between each snake model and each control are also statistically significant (chi squares , p<), whereas for White-breasted Nuthatches all differences are in the same direction, but only the comparisons between realistic or crude snake models with no model are statistically signifi- cant (chi squares , p < ). The usual type of inspection differed for the two species. Pygmy Nuthatches usually inspected while flying (89%), whereas White-breasted Nuthatches most often inspected while hopping (57%). When approaching the pond, other birds of similar or smaller size moved away from White-breasted Nuthatches. Pygmy Nuthatches, however, were the smallest species visiting the pond and only displaced . other Pygmy Nuthatches. Both species drank from the pool when the live snake or snake models were present. No bird directed aggressive behaviour toward any model. Both species inspected the snakes less frequently in later trials with snake models than in earlier trials (Figure 2). For Pygmy Nuthatches, there was the same pattern of decreasing inspection of novel objects, although only 12 birds inspected. Other bird species occasionally drank from the pool when snake models were present but they inspected the models infrequently or not at all. No Evening Grosbeaks {Coccothraustes vespertinus) inspected snake models (n = 36 visits). Red-breasted Nuthatches {Sitta canadensis) rarely inspected snake models (3 of 29). Mountain Chickadees (Parus gam- beli) sometimes inspected snake mode
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