Western Scrub Jays Gather Around Dead Jays for Noisy
Posted on September 15, 2012
Researchers from the University of California, Davis have discovered that western scrub jays hold noisy "funerals" when they discover the dead body of one of their own. A jay that finds a dead body will screech loudly to summon others. These very noisy "funerals" can last as long as an hour. The research was published in the Aug. 27 issue of Animal Behaviour. Take a look:
Teresa Iglesias, the UC Davis graduate student who carried out the work, said in the release that the purpose of the calls appears to be to alert fellow jays of danger. She also says it could be to help teach young jays about dangers in the environment.
Iglesias is not ruling out a more emotional or ritual element to the jays reaction to the dead. She says, "I think there's a huge possibility that there is much more to learn about the social and emotional lives of birds."
- Fossil of Giant Freshwater Turtle Discovered
- Hubble Observes Stormy Weather on Jupiter
- Australian Spider Named After Marvel's Venom
- NASA's JWST Captures New Views of NGC 604
- Ancient Giant Sea Lizard Had Dagger-Like Teeth