Unhatched birds can warn others of danger by vibrating shells

[Judi Lynn]

Study finds developing chicks communicate with siblings when they hearalarm calls

Nur Pirbhai
Mon 22 Jul 2019 11.00 EDT

Baby seabirds that have not yet hatched communicate with their siblings in neighbouring eggs by vibrating their shells, scientists have discovered.

A study of yellow-legged gulls revealed one of the most sophisticated known examples of embryonic communication. When exposed to the alarm calls of an adult bird responding to a predator, developing chicks apparently were able to convey the presence of danger to their nestmates by wriggling inside their eggs.

“We were very surprised,” said Jose Noguera, the lead author of the study from the Animal Ecology Group at the University of Vigo, Spain. “We were aware that bird embryos were able to produce egg vibrations, [but they vibrated] even more than we expected.”

Knowing about danger and sharing this information with their nestmates could help the chicks adapt to life on the outside and boost the family’s chances of survival in hostile environments.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jul/22/unhatched-birds-can-warn-others-of-danger-by-vibrating-shells

[mopinko]

1. this doesnt surprise me.

one of the cutest things i have learned raising chickens is that the little buggers chirp and tweet while they crack out of the shell. as soon as they get an airhole going, they start chatting each other up.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Wow. Never had heard about that. Thank you, so much, for sharing it.

I would think they come out very developed, far more focused! Impressive.