Jackdaws recognise each other’s voices and respond in greater numbers to warnings from familiar birds than strangers, new research shows.
The birds produce a harsh “scolding call” when they spot a predator, calling fellow jackdaws to mob the intruder and drive it away.
University of Exeter researchers have discovered that each bird has a unique call, and the size of the mob depends on which bird calls the warning.
The scientists played recordings of individual calls and found that the largest mobs assembled when birds heard the cry of a member of their own colony.
“Joining a mobbing event can be dangerous, as it involves approaching a predator, so it makes sense for individuals to be selective in whom they join. Our results show that jackdaws use the ability to discriminate between each other’s voices when deciding whether to join in potentially risky collective activities,” said Dr Alex Thornton, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
Read more at University of Exeter
Image: Jackdaws. (Credit: Victoria Lee)