Birds All Over the World Use the Same Sound to Warn of Threats.
Birds All Over the World Use the Same Sound to Warn of Threats
A Universal Bird Language
Language allows humans to connect and share complex ideas, but communication isn’t unique to us. Scientists have long known that animals also use specific sounds to communicate. However, a new study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution reveals that birds across the world may share a common “warning call” — a vocalization that blends both instinct and learning.
This discovery supports a theory first proposed by Charles Darwin over 150 years ago: that animals could evolve language-like communication by reusing instinctive sounds in new contexts. The study identifies the first known animal sound that combines both innate and learned features — a possible evolutionary stepping stone toward complex language.
The Cuckoo Threat
Birds face many dangers, but brood parasites like cuckoos pose a special threat. These parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, leaving the unsuspecting hosts to raise their chicks. Once hatched, the baby cuckoo often pushes out its foster siblings, monopolizing food and care.
Researchers studying superb fairy-wrens in Australia found that these small birds produce a unique alarm call when spotting a cuckoo. Hearing this call, nearby fairy-wrens immediately respond and attack the intruder.
A Global Connection Among Birds
Surprisingly, scientists noticed that other bird species — even those from different continents — responded to and mimicked the same call. Further investigation using global wildlife databases revealed that at least 21 bird species across regions such as China, India, Sweden, and Australia use this identical warning sound when facing brood parasites.
Some of these species diverged from a common ancestor over 50 million years ago, suggesting that this shared call represents a remarkable example of convergent evolution — where different species independently develop similar traits to solve the same problem.
The Bigger Picture
This finding sheds light on how communication systems evolve and hints that the roots of language may be more universal than once believed. Birds across the planet, it seems, have developed their own shared “word” for danger — proving that nature’s voice can transcend species and continents.
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