Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why do ethologists study animals in their natural habitats?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Instinct Foraging is an example of an instinct driven by impulses serving specific biological functions.

Ethologists study animals in their natural habitats because they advocate for an inductive approach that begins with observing and describing what animals do in their own environments, rather than relying solely on laboratory experiments.1

This "return to nature" approach, championed by founders of ethology such as Konrad Lorenz and Nikolaas Tinbergen, was a reaction against the tendency of psychologists to study a limited number of species in impoverished laboratory settings. By observing animals in the wild, ethologists gain direct experience with the richness of their behavioral repertoires and can better address fundamental biological questions, such as how specific behaviors contribute to an animal's survival and reproductive success.1

Studying animals in their natural context allows researchers to understand how behaviors are adapted to specific ecological requirements, reflecting the influence of natural selection on the animal's evolutionary history and function.41