Influence of the behavioural context on the optocollic reflex (OCR) in pigeons (Columba livia)

摘要

We investigated the effects of several behavioural conditions on the properties of the horizontal optocollic reflex (OCR) in pigeons. The head reflex was triggered by rotating the visual surroundings at different velocities (stimuli steps of 30-300 deg. s(-1)) and the characteristics of the slow and fast phases of the OCR were analysed during, (i) the 'resting condition', in which animals were hung in a harness, (ii) the 'standing condition', in which animals were freely standing, (iii) the 'walking condition', in which animals were walking on a treadmill at different velocities, and (iv) the 'flying condition', in which animals were hung in a harness and subjected to a frontal air-stream, provoking a flying posture.