Elsevier

Animal Behaviour

Volume 17, Part 2, May 1969, Pages 286-306
Animal Behaviour

The endocrine basis of breeding behaviour in the feral pigeon (Columba livia): I. Effects of exogenous hormones on the pre-incubation behaviour of intact males

https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-3472(69)90014-1Get rights and content

Abstract

  • 1.

    1. The effects of repeated dosage with exogenous testosterone proprionate, oestradiol benzoate, progesterone, NIH.LH, NIH.FSH and prolactin on the pre-incubation behaviour of intact male Columba livia were investigated. The observation techniques and methods for quantifying the results were those used by Fabricius & Jansson (1963) and the subjects were paired with normal untreated females.

  • 2.

    2. FSH enhanced the sexual-aggressive components of the bowing display, particularly driving, while LH increased the probability that attacking would follow bowing. Androgen produced a pattern more nearly resembling the controls in that the bowing display progressed towards the sexual manifestations of mounting, courtship feeding and nest demonstration. Prolactin inhibited bowing, driving and attacking but progesterone depressed bowing while allowing attacking and driving to be expressed, Progesterone also resulted in an increased incidence of aggressive pecking and a decrease of mounting and copulation, reflected in a failure of follicle development in the females. In general, exogenous LH had little influence on the normal cycle of paired birds.

  • 3.

    3. Oestrogen suppressed the aggressive components of the pre-incubation displays, but markedly and consistently elevated the nest demonstration behaviour. All other hormone treatments inhibited nest demonstration, except that testosterone did allow it to develop normally in the second-half of the cycle.

  • 4.

    4. All hormone treatments, including oestrogen, inhibited twig collection and nest building but FSH differed from the other hormones, in that it allowed a nearly normal level of nest building, compared with controls, to develop.

  • 5.

    5. Progesterone maintained the amount of true preening and suppressed displacement preening; whereas prolactin-treated subjects did not differ from the controls in this respect.

  • 6.

    6. The responses of the females to control and treated males are documented.

  • 7.

    7. The implication of the various hormone treatments is discussed in relation to the normal behavioural-endocrine cycle of the pigeon. It is considered that the male pigeon undergoes a cycle which is successively dependent on a changing hormone basis. Initial courtship, in which aggressive components are much in evidence, depends on high FSH/androgen titres. This phase is followed by one in which oestrogen becomes dominant leading to nest demonstration. Oestrogen release from the testis tubules may be facilitated by androgen (although FSH may be needed for oestrogen synthesis). At the end of the oestrogen phase of behaviour FSH seems to become more involved leading to nest building. This phase is then followed by progesterone secretion and the onset of incubation.

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