Nuthatches Vary Their Alarm Calls Based Upon the Source of the Eavesdropped Signals

Red-breasted nuthatches (Sitta canadensis) eavesdrop on chickadee mobbing calls and adjust their behavior based on the perceived threat. This study investigates whether nuthatches modify their alarm calls differently in response to direct (raptor vocalizations) versus indirect (chickadee mobbing calls) predator information. Results show nuthatches vary their mobbing calls based on direct threat level. However, when receiving indirect information, their calls exhibit intermediate acoustic features, suggesting a more generalized alarm signal. This indicates nuthatches are sensitive to information source reliability and selectively propagate information.

Nora V Carlson, Eric Greene, Christopher N Templeton