Tag: Nature Ecology and Evolution


  • Global Birds Share a Mysterious Warning Cry: The First Learned-Vocal Across Species

    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…

  • Warning Call Unites Birds Worldwide: Innate-Learned Signals

    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 Point to Language Origins: Global Study

    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

    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…