Imprinting

Imprinting is a behavior in which young birds follow a moving object shortly after hatching, hopefully their mother. In their mother's absence, the hatchlings would follow some other adult bird or a human being or even a pulled inanimate object. This discovery led to the establishment of the science of ethology, studying animal behavior in natural environments.
 Konrad Lorenz Germany 1935 Imprinting

Imprinting is a behavior in which young birds follow a moving object shortly after hatching, hopefully their mother. In their mother's absence, the hatchlings would follow some other adult bird or a human being or even a pulled inanimate object. This discovery led to the establishment of the science of ethology, studying animal behavior in natural environments.