How do chickadees communicate about the presence and absence of food?

AOS Student Research Grant Seminar

Presenter: Clay Jones, Ph.D. student, University of California Davis; AOS 2023 Josselyn Van Tyne Memorial Research Grant winner

Foraging as part of a group can afford social animals benefits such as increased protection from predators and opportunities for social learning, but not much is known about how animals communicate about variation in food availability or maintain group cohesion while foraging. Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) form winter foraging flocks and produce complex, compositional calls at food sources, potentially to recruit group members and strengthen social bonds. In a field experiment, I analyzed differences in Carolina Chickadee vocalizations produced when food was available versus when food access was unexpectedly blocked. This research lends insight into how animals communicate at food sources and share information about changing food conditions, which could aid their survival in unpredictable environments.

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