Cognitive flexibility in a generalist raptor: a comparative analysis along an urbanization gradient.

This study examines cognitive flexibility in the Chimango Caracara (Milvago chimango) across urban, suburban, and rural habitats in Argentina, using a reversal learning assay to assess behavioral adaptation to changing environmental cues. Results show that urban chimangos learn initial and reversed color-reward associations faster than their rural and suburban counterparts, with the reversal phase being the most challenging for all groups. Neophobia, defined as the fear of novel stimuli, was lowest in urban birds and correlated positively with slower reversal learning and more regressive errors in rural and suburban chimangos, but not in urban individuals. The findings suggest that neophobia regulates cognitive flexibility primarily in less urbanized populations, while urban chimangos exhibit greater behavioral adaptability likely advantageous for exploiting variable anthropogenic food resources.