Ethology Quiz -Blackcap migration

Where do European blackcaps usually migrate between?

• France and Italy

• Spain and Germany

• Spain and France

• Germany and Italy

What did ornithologists notice about the UK blackcaps compared to the Spanish blackcaps?

• They had a longer beak

• They migrated in a different direction

• They arrived in Germany earlier

• They laid more eggs

What did Peter Berthold's experiment with the young blackcaps support?

• The birds follow the direction of the wind

• The travel direction is genetically set

• The birds migrate randomly

• The birds learn migration direction from their parents

What happened when Gregor Rolshauer interbred birds from both groups?

• The offspring migrated in a completely different direction

• The offspring followed a route halfway between each of the parents

• The offspring followed the route of the Spanish blackcaps

• The offspring followed the route of the UK blackcaps

What environmental factor may have made UK blackcaps successful in their migration to the UK?

• Warmer climate in the UK

• Lack of predators in the UK

• Abundance of fruit in the UK

• Availability of winter bird feeders in UK gardens

What has caused the UK blackcaps and Spanish blackcaps to become physically different?

• Natural selection based on migration direction

• Availability of winter bird feeders in the UK

• Genetic mutation in the UK blackcaps

• Different diet in the UK and Spain

What is the scientific name of the European blackcap?

• Sylvia melanocephala

• Sylvia curruca

• Sylvia atricapilla

• Sylvia communis

What is the advantage of arriving in Germany earlier for the blackcaps?

• Avoidance of predators

• Access to better food sources

• More choice of territory and more eggs laid

• More time for resting