Latitudinal and Seasonal Variation in Exploratory Behavior in Rufous-Collared Sparrow

Abstract

Exploratory behavior involves gathering information and reflects how individuals interact with their environments. In seasonal environments, individuals undergo environmental cycles that might lead to differences in this behavior between locations and seasons. Here, we compare the exploratory behavior measured during an open-field test in 102 adult individuals of rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) from three locations in central and southern Chile. A generalized mixed-effect model (GMM) was utilized to compare the exploratory behavior between locations and seasons. The two-way interaction between both variates was also included. Body mass and sex were included as covariates and elevation of the study sites as a random effect. The result indicates that exploratory behavior significantly varied between populations and seasons. Specifically, birds tested in the Chilean central zone (33° S) and breeding birds showed higher exploration scores during the open-field test than birds tested in the southern zone (38° S) and non-breeding birds. These findings suggest that exploratory behavior may be driven by local environmental pressures, underscoring the role of weather and seasonality in shaping this behavior. © 2025 by the authors.