Tag: Brood Parasitism
-
Global Birds Share a Mysterious Warning Cry: The First Learned-Vocal Across Species
Overview: A World-spanning warning cry In a landmark study released in Nature Ecology and Evolution on October 3, researchers report that more than 20 bird species across four continents produce nearly identical whining vocalizations when they spot a brood parasite in their territory. This finding represents the first known example of an animal vocalization that…
-
Global Warning Cry: How Birds Learn a Shared Call Against Brood Parasites
New Evidence of a Shared, Learned Warning Across Birds A landmark study published on October 3 in Nature Ecology and Evolution uncovers a remarkable phenomenon: more than 20 bird species across four continents emit nearly identical “whining” vocalizations when they spot brood parasites in their territory. This finding represents the first known example of an…
-
Warning Call Unites Birds Worldwide: Innate-Learned Signals
Global Discovery: A Shared Warning Across Continents A recent study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution reveals a remarkable evolutionary bridge in avian communication. Researchers spanning Cornell University and Donana Biological Station in Seville examined how birds respond to brood parasites, a strategy in which parasitic birds lay eggs in others’ nests. In a finding…
-
Birds’ Vocal Warnings Help Explain Language Origins
Global Insight: Similar warnings across continents A multinational team of researchers has found that more than 20 bird species across four continents announce the presence of nest parasites with nearly identical whining vocalizations. This remarkable convergence occurs despite millions of years of evolution and vast geographic separation, suggesting a learned response to a common ecological…
-
Birds’ Vocal Warnings Point to Language Origins: Global Study
Birds’ Vocal Warnings Reveal a Global Link to Language Origins ITHACA, N.Y. – A remarkable cross-continental discovery shows that more than two dozen bird species, spread across four continents, share a nearly identical whining vocal warning. The sound is produced when a parasite bird—such as a cuckoo—intrudes on a nest, and the host birds identify…
-
Birds’ Vocal Warnings Reveal Clues About Language Origins
Global parallels in nest-parasite warnings A sweeping international study finds that more than 20 bird species across four continents share an remarkably similar warning call when they spot a brood parasite near their nests. The whining vocalization, learned in the moment as birds listen to their surroundings, appears to be a common strategy across distant…