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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 24, 2005 Since You Asked: Songbirds can sound alarm when necessary How do songbirds distinguish harmless birds from hawks? They give alarm cries and move to safer locations when a hawk is nearby. Often birds like jays or crows will try to drive the hawk away. How do birds know that the hawk, unlike most other birds, is a threat? — Judy B., Medford Judy, the Since You Asked Ornithology Department says you’re selling your feathered friends way-y short. A study in the June 23 issue of Science found black-capped chickadees "speak" to each other in calls far more subtle and information-packed than scientists ever imagined. Chris Templeton, a doctoral student at the University of Washington and the study’s main author, said chickadee alarm calls vary by predator. Advertisement A flying raptor sparks a different call than a perched one. When chickadees summon other chickadees to help drive the predator away — the behavior is called "mobbing" — they even distinguish the size of the raptor. Many of these sounds can’t even be heard by humans. Scientists used a semi-natural aviary with 15 different live predators in their study. Smaller raptors like the pygmy owl and American kestrel provoked warnings different from larger predators, say, great horned owls. It’s not hard to understand why. The great horned owl probably wants to sleep, but the pygmy is a day hunter. Also, smaller predators such as the pygmy and the kestrel are more maneuverable, and therefore more of a threat (see acp.eugraph.com/news/news05/templeton.html). Other studies have suggested that corvids (crows, jays, magpies) are as smart as dolphins or chimps. So those bird-brains are smarter than you think! Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to Since You Asked: Songbirds can sound alarm when necessary ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztechmedia Website Hosting Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Advertisement s