Pigeon Wings Sound the Alarm

When birds make noise, it's not always with their throats. In hummingbirds and manikins, for example, special feathers flutter and vibrate to produce tones and whistles, which impress potential mates and scare off competitors. Now researchers have found that pigeons use wing noise to warn the flock about approaching enemies--the first example of a nonvocalized alarm call in birds.Not all birds make vocal calls to alert companions, so behavioral ecologist Robert Magrath of the Australian National University in Canberra wondered whether they use flight sounds instead. He reasoned that because a bird takes off faster and at a steeper angle when startled, these different wing mechanics might produce a unique sound that other birds recognize as distress.Magrath and his student decided to study the crested pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)--a more handsome relative of the street pigeon--because it produces a distinctive fluttering whistle on takeoff. They set up 13 feeder stations and recorded normal takeoff sounds. To collect sounds of a startled ascent, the researchers waited for a solitary bird to start feeding and then threw a glider that looked like a hawk to scare the pigeon. Compared with the sounds of a pigeon's normal, leisurely takeoff, this whistle was louder and faster.The researchers then played the two types of sounds for pigeon flocks at their feeders. None of the 15 flocks did anything when they heard the normal takeoff noise. In contrast, 11 of 15 flocks immediately flew off after hearing the startled takeoff noise

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Emilie September 9, 2009 0:49

Hello my dear lovely Zahra:
Thanks alot for your nice comment..I am very happy that you liked my topic..The group and the whole Ec is lightened with your comments..Have a nice day..
Emi.
Zahra September 8, 2009 14:53

Hi my lovely sis ,Emi

thanks a lot for your useful info ...

there are lots of delicate facts around us which we don't pay attention to and we just pass by without a single pause to find the meaning behind...

we see even a single sound which seems sth ordinary and meaningless has its own meaning...nothing in the world is meaningless;everything is created for a special purpose and the best way is chosen for its creating.......
well-organized,well-designed and full of intricate details is the world...and the most powerful and wisest of all is its creator...

thanks a lot for your new info,
i enjoyed it...
have a nice time:)

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