Seoul, South Korea: New study reveals that the Skuas who are living in the remote Antarctica can recognize people who had previously accessed their nests. It was shown that the Birds which were living among the people were able to categorize between individual humans, however, this new study had brought something really new.
It was seen that the concerned study was conducted by the researchers from the University ‘Inha’ and also by the Korea Polar Researcher Institute in South Korea, where they had performed a series of experiments on Brown Skuas which found living in Antarctica.
They were checking the nests once in week for observing the breeding status, however, the Skuas found attacking when these researchers visited repeatedly.
Moreover, the researchers have also tried to send a neutral human who never have accessed the nests earlier, to know whether they really can recognize them or not.
In the test they found these birds were particularly distinguishing the researchers who were regularly visiting the nests from those who did never visited.
In the research the scholars found that the pairs of Skau which were seven in number, were following and trying to attack the regular visitors, however, in the experiment, they found never following or attacking the neutral persons.
The PhD student at Inha University- Yeong- Deok Han observed that, he being visitor was required to defend himself against attack from Skaus. Moreover, in the an experiment, Han changed his field clothes and again tried to visit them, but even after that they recognize him and followed him to attack. He believed that “the birds seemed to know” him no matter what he wears.”
Moreover, as per Senior Researcher from the Korea Polar Institute- Won Young Lee, the said recognition by the Skaus appears him as “amazing” as these birds which evolved and lived in human-free habitats”. He considers this as their “very high levels of cognitive abilities”.
Further, researchers found stating that this opportunistic feeding habit can turn them cleverer with time. Thus, the study was published in the journal ‘Animal Cognition’.
