A new study performed by a graduate student from the University of Washington, has found that the call of a Chickadee is often used to call in other birds when it is threatened by a predator.
Not only does the Chickadee’s call signal other chickadees that it needs help, but other species of birds respond to it and often come to the chickadee’s aid as well.
For the study, published in this week’s issue of the journal Science, Templeton and two co-authors worked with a raptor rehabilitator, giving them access to a range of predators – and the surprising variation in chickadee calls.
When the researchers played back a recorded chickadee call made in response to a great horned owl, only part of a captive flock of six flew toward a hidden speaker. But when the scientists played back a longer call with more D notes, made in response to a northern pygmy-owl, “basically the whole flock comes right to the speaker and gets really agitated.”
Templeton’s research found that the chickadee’s call changes depending on how big the predator is. It can use different variations of the call to bring different amounts of other birds.
“You certainly might notice a change in the number of dee notes in their call if a neighbor’s cats was around harassing them. With something really dangerous, such as a pygmy-owl perched near some chickadees in our aviary, we heard as many as 23 added dees,” said Templeton.
This story is starting to make me recall Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. The whole concept doesn’t seem all that far-fetched to me now.
Chris is a staff writer for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest ebusiness news.
