Crying wolf to a predator: Deceptive vocal mimicry by a bird protecting young
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Igic, Branislav; McLachlan, Jessica; Lehtinen, Inkeri; Magrath, Robert D
Description
Animals often mimic dangerous or toxic species to deter predators; however, mimicry of such species may not always be possible and mimicry of benign species seems unlikely to confer anti-predator benefits. We reveal a system in which a bird mimics the alarm calls of harmless species to fool a predator 40 times its size and protect its offspring against attack. Our experiments revealed that brown thornbills (Acanthiza pusilla) mimic a chorus of other species’ aerial alarm calls, a cue of an...[Show more]
Collections | ANU Research Publications |
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Date published: | 2015 |
Type: | Journal article |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1885/71134 |
Source: | Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences |
DOI: | 10.1098/rspb.2015.0798 |
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01_Igic_Crying_wolf_to_a_predator:_2015.pdf | 573.28 kB | Adobe PDF | Request a copy |
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