Open Mirror Exploration
Objective: Assessment of magpie behavior and interactions with a mirror in an open room environment
This is a Open Mirror Exploration protocol using magpie as the model organism. The procedure involves 4 procedural steps, 2 equipment items, 3 materials. Extracted from a 2008 paper published in PLoS Biology.
Model and subjects
magpie • adult • 5
Study window
Estimated timing pending
Core workflow
Baseline trial setup • Mirror placement • Test session execution
Primary readouts
- Magpie behavior during mirror exploration
- Magpie interactions with the mirror
- Behavioral differences between baseline (grey plate) and mirror conditions
Key equipment and reagents
Use this page as an execution guide, then fall back to the source paper whenever you need exact exclusions, dosing details, or assay-specific caveats.
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- Verify the animal model, intervention setup, and collection timepoints against the source paper.
- Check that every direct vendor link matches the exact specification your lab plans to run.
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- Work through the protocol steps in order and use the inline vendor chips only when you need to source or verify an item.
- Jump to Experimental Context for readouts, data shape, and analysis flow before planning downstream analysis.
Protocol Steps
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Baseline trial setup
Replace the mirror with a grey, nonreflective plate in the 4 × 4-m room positioned in the middle of one wall at approximately 1.5-m distance from the wall
Note: This serves as a control condition before mirror testing
View evidence from paper
“After a baseline trial with the mirror replaced by a grey, nonreflective plate”
Mirror placement
Place a 55-cm wide by 40-cm high mirror on the ground, leaning against a pole, and slightly tilted. Position the mirror in the middle of one of the walls with about 1.5-m distance from the wall, allowing the birds to move around the mirror
Note: The tilted angle and distance from wall allow free movement around the mirror
View evidence from paper
“a mirror 55-cm wide and 40-cm high was placed on the ground, leaning against a pole, and slightly tilted. The position of the mirror was in the middle of one of the walls with about 1.5-m distance from the wall”
Test session execution
Conduct five test sessions with each bird. Allow the tested subject to move freely in the room during each session
Note: Five test sessions total per bird
View evidence from paper
“five test sessions of 30-min duration were given to each of the birds. The tested subject could move freely in the room”
Behavioral observation and recording
Observe the behavior of the birds from an adjacent room using a video system. Videotape all trials for later analysis
Note: Observation from adjacent room minimizes experimenter interference
View evidence from paper
“The behavior of the birds was observed from an adjacent room by means of a video system, and trials were videotaped”