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(BBC News, 22, November 2013) - Great tits use different
alarm calls for different predators, according to scientists in Japan.
Journal article: Communication about predator type by a birdusing discrete, graded and combinatorial variation in alarm calls
A researcher analysed the birds' calls and found that they
made "jar" sounds for snakes and combinations of "chicka"
sounds for crows and martens.
This, he claims, is the first demonstration that birds can
put into their alarm calls information about the predator that is threatening
them.
The findings are published in the journal Animal Behaviour.
In the short clip available on the Animal Behaviour website, you can hear the three calls: the
"chicka" call for crow; a "chicka" call for marten, which
incorporates a "trill" that the birds do not use for crows, and
finally "jar" call for snake.
Since snakes are particularly dangerous predators for the
birds, the researchers think great tits might have evolved this very distinct
snake alarm call.
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