Alarm calls of a cooperative bird are referential and elicit context-specific antipredator behavior

Abstract

In a world where predators use an array of hunting strategies, prey must adapt their escape responses accordingly or be eaten. The ability of prey to convey information on predator type or its location to other members of social groups has received minimum attention in research regarding avian acoustic communication. Using an array of practical approaches, we present novel evidence that a social bird species possesses 2 distinct alarm calls for aerial versus terrestrial predators that can inform others of both the type of predator and its likely location.