Crossbills use warnings from neighbours to survive food shortages

A STUDY INTO how birds react when food is scarce has found that birds warned by their neighbours of shortages are able to change their behaviour to prepare.

Researchers from the Oregon State). They split the birds into three groups: two main focal groups and a neighbour group of birds with a restricted diet. Some of the birds in the main focal group received three days of social information from restricted-diet birds prior to their own food limitations. Other birds received three days of social information from food-deprived birds at the same time as their own food deprivation.