Kai R. Caspar Kai R. Caspar Jimena Lois-Milevicich Jimena Lois-Milevicich Carl Soulsbury Carl Soulsbury Stephan A. Reber Stephan A. Reber Claudia Mettke-Hofmann Claudia Mettke-Hofmann Megan Lambert Megan Lambert Benjamin J. Ashton Benjamin J. Ashton Alice M. I. Auersperg Alice M. I. Auersperg Melissa Bateson Melissa Bateson Solenne Belle Solenne Belle Boris Bilčík Boris Bilčík Laura M. Biondi Laura M. Biondi Francesco Bonadonna Francesco Bonadonna Desiree Brucks Desiree Brucks Michael W. Butler Michael W. Butler Samuel P. Caro Samuel P. Caro Marion Charrier Marion Charrier Tiffany Chatelin Tiffany Chatelin Johnathan Ching Johnathan Ching Nicola S. Clayton Nicola S. Clayton Benjamin J. Cluver Benjamin J. Cluver Ella B. Cochran Ella B. Cochran Francesca Cornero Francesca Cornero Emily Danby Emily Danby Samara Danel Samara Danel Martina Darwich Martina Darwich James R. Davies James R. Davies Alicia de la Colina Alicia de la Colina Dominik Fischer Dominik Fischer Ondřej Fišer Ondřej Fišer Florencia Foitzick Florencia Foitzick Edward C. Galluccio Edward C. Galluccio Clara Garcia-Co Clara Garcia-Co Elias Garcia-Pelegrin Elias Garcia-Pelegrin Isabelle George Isabelle George Kai-Philipp Gladow Kai-Philipp Gladow Raúl O. Gómez Raúl O. Gómez Anna Grewer Anna Grewer Katie Grice Katie Grice Lauren M. Guillette Lauren M. Guillette Devon C. Hallihan Devon C. Hallihan Katie J. Harrington Katie J. Harrington Frauke Heer Frauke Heer Chloe Henry Chloe Henry Vladimira Hodova Vladimira Hodova Marisa Hoeschele Marisa Hoeschele Cécilia Houdelier Cécilia Houdelier Paula Ibáñez de Aldecoa Paula Ibáñez de Aldecoa Oluwaseun Serah Iyasere Oluwaseun Serah Iyasere Yuka Kanemitsu Yuka Kanemitsu Mina Khodadadi Mina Khodadadi Duc Khong Duc Khong Melanie G. Kimball Melanie G. Kimball Ariana N. Klappert Ariana N. Klappert Lucy N. Koch Lucy N. Koch Uta U. König von Borstel Uta U. König von Borstel Lubor Košt’ál Lubor Košt’ál Anastasia Krasheninnikova Anastasia Krasheninnikova Lubica Kubikova Lubica Kubikova Connor T. Lambert Connor T. Lambert Daan W. Laméris Daan W. Laméris Courtenay G. Lampert Courtenay G. Lampert Oceane Larousse Oceane Larousse Christine R. Lattin Christine R. Lattin Zhongqiu Li Zhongqiu Li Michael Lindenmeier Michael Lindenmeier Delia A. Lister Delia A. Lister Julia A. Mackenzie Julia A. Mackenzie Selina Mainz Selina Mainz Danna Masri Danna Masri Jorg J. M. Massen Jorg J. M. Massen Laurenz Mohr Laurenz Mohr Wendt Müller Wendt Müller Paul M. Nealen Paul M. Nealen Andreas Nieder Andreas Nieder Aurèle Novac Aurèle Novac Nínive Paes Cavalcante Nínive Paes Cavalcante Kristina Pascual Kristina Pascual Carla Pascual-Guàrdia Carla Pascual-Guàrdia Ayushi Patel Ayushi Patel Katarína Pichová Katarína Pichová Cristina Pilenga Cristina Pilenga Laurent Prétôt Laurent Prétôt John L. Quinn John L. Quinn Elena Račevska Elena Račevska Juan C. Reboreda Juan C. Reboreda Sam Reynolds Sam Reynolds Amanda R. Ridley Amanda R. Ridley Theresa Rössler Theresa Rössler Francisco Ruiz-Raya Francisco Ruiz-Raya Marina Salas Marina Salas Beatriz C. Saldanha Beatriz C. Saldanha Sebastián M. Santiago Sebastián M. Santiago Nikola Schlöglová Nikola Schlöglová Gia Seatriz Gia Seatriz Eva Serrano-Davies Eva Serrano-Davies Eva G. Shair Ali Eva G. Shair Ali Janja Sirovnik Janja Sirovnik Zuzana Skalná Zuzana Skalná Katie E. Slocombe Katie E. Slocombe Masayo Soma Masayo Soma Tiziana Srdoc Tiziana Srdoc Stefan Stanescu Stefan Stanescu Michaela Syrová Michaela Syrová Alex H. Taylor Alex H. Taylor Christopher N. Templeton Christopher N. Templeton Karlie Thompson Karlie Thompson Sandra Trigo Sandra Trigo Camille A. Troisi Camille A. Troisi Utku Urhan Utku Urhan Maurice Valbert Maurice Valbert Kees van Oers Kees van Oers Alberto Velando Alberto Velando Frederick Verbruggen Frederick Verbruggen Jorrit W. Verkleij Jorrit W. Verkleij Alizée Vernouillet Alizée Vernouillet Jonas Verspeek Jonas Verspeek Petr Veselý Petr Veselý Auguste M. P. von Bayern Auguste M. P. von Bayern Eline Waalders Eline Waalders Benjamin A. Whittaker Benjamin A. Whittaker Ella R. Williamson Ella R. Williamson Vanessa A. D. Wilson Vanessa A. D. Wilson Michelle A. Winfield Michelle A. Winfield Neslihan Wittek Neslihan Wittek Karen K. L. Yeung Karen K. L. Yeung Jade A. Zanutto Jade A. Zanutto Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025 Neophobia, or aversion to novelty, is important for adaptability and survival as it influences the ways in which animals navigate risk and interact with their environments. Across individuals, species and other taxonomic levels, neophobia is known to vary considerably, but our understanding of the wider ecological drivers of neophobia is hampered by a lack of comparative multispecies studies using standardized methods. Here, we utilized the ManyBirds Project, a Big Team Science large-scale collaborative open science framework, to pool efforts and resources of 129 collaborators at 77 institutions from 24 countries worldwide across six continents. We examined both difference scores (between novel object test and control conditions) and raw data of latency to touch familiar food in the presence (test) and absence (control) of a novel object among 1,439 subjects from 136 bird species across 25 taxonomic orders incorporating lab, field, and zoo sites. We first demonstrated that consistent differences in neophobia existed among individuals, among species, and among other taxonomic levels in our dataset, rejecting the null hypothesis that neophobia is highly plastic at all taxonomic levels with no evidence for evolutionary divergence. We then tested for effects of ecological factors on neophobia, including diet, sociality, habitat, and range, while accounting for phylogeny. We found that (i) species with more specialist diets were more neophobic than those with more generalist diets, providing support for the Neophobia Threshold Hypothesis; (ii) migratory species were also more neophobic than nonmigratory species, which supports the Dangerous Niche Hypothesis. Our study shows that the evolution of avian neophobia has been shaped by ecological drivers and demonstrates the potential of Big Team Science to advance our understanding of animal behavior. PDFDocument eng 2025-12-23T09:04:30.554746Z 2025 Birds Animal Migration Habitats Domestic Animals Food Diet Ecological Niches Taxonomy 2451742 b application/pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/