homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Unhatched birds communicate with each other by vibrating shells

It's a remarkable communication and adaptation mechanism.

Mihai Andrei
July 25, 2019 @ 12:30 am

share Share

Developed but unhatched birds can not only pick up signals from their parents — they can also communicate with their (also unhatched) siblings by vibrating their shells.

Inside the eggs, gull embryos hear, and respond to, warning calls from adult gulls.

We humans are spoiled in many ways. We’re completely dependent on our parents for years, it takes us a long time to learn how to walk, and in most parts of the world, we rarely have to provide for ourselves. Other creatures don’t have these luxuries — they need to be prepared for danger as quickly as possible.

When danger lurks, most birds produce a distinctive warning sound. For gulls, it’s a specific “ha-ha-ha” sound. Chicks pick up on this signal and are alerted of the looming danger. But even before chicks are hatched, they can still pick up the danger.

A pair of researchers with Universidad de Vigo in Spain found that unhatched chicks can pick up the danger signal and vibrate their shells, transmitting the message to their less-developed siblings.

“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.”

This is not the first time embryonic communication has been studied. Previous research has shown that embryonic birds, amphibians, reptiles, and even insects receive sensory information that helps them prepare for the harsh realities of the real world. Being aware of these dangers and sharing this information with nestmates can help chicks adapt to real situations more quickly, boosting the family’s chances of survival.

The team also found that there are significant behavioral changes associated with this pre-hatching behavior.

In order to reach this conclusion, the team collected 90 yellow-legged gull eggs from Sálvora Island, a large breeding region off the coast of northern Spain. They sorted them into nests of three. Six days before hatching, two out of the three nest eggs were removed from the nest and then exposed to either a recording of a predator alarm or white noise. The third group was not exposed to any sounds.

The birds exposed to alarm calls vibrated in response. When they were reunited with the egg that was not exposed to any sounds, this egg also mimicked the vibrating sounds. The eggs also underwent genetic chances known to delay hatch time, as a response to looming danger, and had an increase in the production of stress hormones, which makes birds more aware of their surroundings after hatching. Birds that were exposed to alarm sounds were quicker to run and hide after hatching.

Researchers are still unsure how the embryos produce and understand these signals, but it’s an absolutely remarkable communication system, which may be much more widespread than it was previously realized.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.

share Share

Scientists Create a 'Power Bar' for Bees to Replace Pollen and Keep Colonies Alive Without Flowers

Researchers unveil a man-made “Power Bar” that could replace pollen for stressed honey bee colonies.

First-Ever Footage Captures a Living Colossal Squid—And It’s Just a Baby

A century after its discovery, the elusive giant finally reveals itself on camera.

Yeast in Space? Scientists Just Launched a Tiny Lab to See If We Can Create Food in Orbit

Microbes can brew food in space — a game-changer for astronauts.

This Chewing Gum Can Destroy 95 Percent of Flu and Herpes Viruses

Viruses had enough fun in our mouths, it's time to wipe them out.

Scientists filmed wild chimpanzees sharing alcohol-laced fermented fruit for the first time and it looks eerily familiar

New footage suggests our primate cousins may have their own version of happy hour.

This Tokyo Lab Built a Machine That Grows Real Chicken Meat

A lab in Tokyo just grew a piece of chicken that not only looks like the real thing — it tastes like it too.

Why the Right Way To Fly a Rhino Is Upside Down

Black rhinos are dangling from helicopters—because it's what’s best for them.

Same-Sex Behavior Is Surprisingly Common in Animals — Humans Are No Exception

Some people claim same-sex attraction is "unnatural." Biology says otherwise

Crows seem to understand geometry — and we thought only humans could

In a remarkable new study, crows demonstrated an intuitive grasp of geometry—identifying irregular shapes without training.

4,000 Years Ago, Nubian Women Were Carrying Loads—and Babies—Using Head Straps

Elite women in ancient Nubia carried babies using head straps, don't you dare to try this at home.