... predator (dilution effect) and because the need for each individual's vigilance is reduced more time can be spent on other activities such as feeding, preening and sleeping. This suggests that individuals monitors the presence of others in the group, are aware of how many others are in the group and they can alter their vigilance in accordance with this knowledge. The dilution effect (Hamilton, 1971, cited in Fernández, Capurro and Reboreda, 2003), explained briefly above, is the larger the group the smaller the probability that each individual will be attacked (1/group size) thus making any extra vigilant behaviour redundant. If the behaviour is less beneficial to the animal's fitness it is expected to do less of it and more time doing other activities that will benefit its fitness, such as feeding. So, there is a conflict between competing activities and the motivation for doing them and it is expected that ...

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