Scientists Document Cultural Change In The Dialects Of Wild Parrots Over 22 Years
Like humans, parrots have distinct vocal dialects and, like humans, they learn those dialects from their family and friends, so those dialects change when they relocate to a new area.
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Humans speak in their own languages and dialects, but in general, people are unaware that other animals may also speak in their own languages and dialects. Likewise, whales, chimpanzees, and bats are known to speak in their own dialects. Perhaps unsurprisingly, another such example of speaking with regional dialects is parrots: a recent study published by a collaborative team of researchers, Christine Dahlin of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and Timothy Wright, Grace Smith-Vidaurre, and Molly K. Genes from New Mexico State University documented the dialects of wild yellow-naped Amazon parrots throughout their natural range in Costa Rica over a 22-year span.
Yellow-naped amazons, Amazona auropalliata, are large, mostly yellowish-green parrots that form long-term pair bonds, living along the Pacific coast. They roost in large flocks at night and disperse into smaller groups to forage throughout the rainforest during the day. They share a variety of calls with their roostmates, of which contact calls are the most commonβ¦
