Pigeons (Columba livia) learn to link numerosities with symbols

Abstract

After responding to each element in varying, successive numerosity displays, pigeons (Columba livia) had to choose, out of an array of symbols, the symbol designated to correspond to the preceding number of elements. After extensive training, 5 pigeons responded with significant accuracy to the numerosities 1 to 4, and 2 pigeons to the numerosities 1 to 5. Several tests showed that feedback tones accompanying element pecks, the familiarity of element configurations, and the shape of the elements were not crucial to this performance. One test, however, indicated that the number of pecks issued to the elements was important for numerosities above 2. An additional test confirmed that the birds chose the symbol that corresponded to a particular numerosity rather than the positions that the symbols had held during training.