Science & Technology - Posted by Andy Fell-UC Davis on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 17:27 - 8 Comments 
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(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Solitary birds gather for noisy ‘funerals’
The western scrub jays that UC Davis researcher Teresa Iglesias studied are typically solitary and competitive, but when one jay finds another one dead, the "funeral" gathering can last up to 30 minutes. (Credit: Stephanie Macey-Gallow/UC Davis)
UC DAVIS (US) — Western scrub jays summon others to screech over the body of a dead jay in cacophonous “funerals” that can last for up to half an hour.
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Anecdotal reports have suggested that other animals, including elephants, chimpanzees, and birds in the crow family, react to dead of their species, says Teresa Iglesias, the University of California, Davis, graduate student who carried out the work. But few experimental studies have explored this behavior.
The new research by Iglesias and her colleagues appears in the August 27 issue of the journal Animal Behaviour.
The researchers used (clockwise from top left) objects painted to represent a dead jay, a dead jay, a stuffed, perched jay, and a stuffed owl to test jays’ reactions to different objects. (Credit: Teresa Iglesias/UC Davis)
Western scrub jays live in breeding pairs and are not particularly social birds. “They’re really territorial and not at all friendly with other scrub-jays,” Iglesias said.
Working in the backyards of homes in Davis, California, Iglesias set up feeding tables to encourage visits from the jays. Then she videotaped their behavior when she placed a dead jay on the ground. She compared these reactions with the birds’ behavior when confronted with a dead jay that had been stuffed and mounted on a perch, a stuffed horned owl, and wood painted to represent jay feathers.
On encountering a dead jay, prostrate on the ground, jays flew into a tree and began a series of loud, screeching calls that attracted other jays. The summoned birds perched on trees and fences around the body and joined in the calling. These cacophonous gatherings could last from a few seconds to as long as 30 minutes.
Jays formed similar cacophonous gatherings in response to a mounted owl, but ignored painted wood. When confronted with a mounted jay, the birds swooped in on it as if it were an intruder.
Jays typically gathered within seconds of the first bird calling, Iglesias says. If they did not, the first jay would often fly higher into a tree, apparently to call more widely.
“It looked like they were actively trying to attract attention,” she says.
The purpose of the calls seems to be to alert other birds of danger, Iglesias says. But why the calls summon others, rather than warning them off, is unclear. Having more jays present might mean more eyes to locate a predator, or more numbers to drive it away, she speculates.
There might also be a learning component to the gatherings, if they help teach young jays about dangers in the environment, Iglesias says.
While reactions of animals to their dead are sometimes called “funerals,” that does not imply that there is an emotional or ritual element to the behavior, Iglesias says. We simply don’t know enough about the emotional life of animals to understand that.
But Iglesias isn’t ruling it out. “I think there’s a huge possibility that there is much more to learn about the social and emotional lives of birds,” she says.
Co-authors of the paper are UC Davis scientists Gail Patricelli, a professor of evolution and ecology, and Richard McElreath, an associate professor of anthropology.
A Gates Millennium Graduate Scholarship from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UC Davis funds to support graduate students funded the work.
Iglesias conducted the study at backyard feeders in Davis, California. (Credit: Stephanie Macey-Gallow/UC Davis)
Source: UC Davis
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8 Comments
Susan D.
Yemil
I once witnessed a really obviously distressed crow in a tree watching a dying crow on the ground.It’s beak had been broken off at some point probably by hitting an obstacle really hard.Nothing could be done for the bird as it was really close to expiring but the crow in the tree was beside itself and flapped it’s wings and crowed incessantly as it watched the dying bird closely.
Another time I came across a huge gathering of coyotes on a dirt road in a wilderness area.Two pups had been run over and killed by a vehicle a short time previously.There were about twelve adults continuously walking in small circles with their heads down.They too were obviously very distressed and they ignored me completely.I stopped my vehicle and watched them for some time mesmerized and chilled by their display of grief.This was the largest gathering of coyotes I had ever seen and I would guess it was an extended family.They seemed devastated by what had happened and I feel sure they were cognizant of what death really meant.
Richard Borkovetz
In our neighborhood in Albuquerque, NM, we had a family of roadrunners – apparently a mated pair and their yearling. We saw them frequently and often together. One day, I heard some strange noises. I found the male lying dead and his mate standing over the body with her head craned back and beak wide open, pointing skyward. The sound she made
was not like any of the usual calls. It was a rasping sound with rapid breathing. The female would retreat and then return; going back to the body and repeating this display over and over. The youth repeated the same behavior, staying back when the female was at the body. The effect seemed to be one of mourning. It may be anthropomorphizing to some extent, but I could not interpret this behavior in any other way. It just seemed to be mourning. Later, when the behavior seemed to have abated, I buried the dead male near to where he had died. We don’t know the cause of death.
I haven’t observed the intense kind of behavior described in the article or in the comments, but I’m pleased to read then since my observation of animals in general supports my belief that they share many of our emotions–affection, grief, fear, humor. And reading Temple Grandin’s work has cemented my belief. I have been attacked and watched closely as I tried to follow and rescue a wounded baby bird fighting a cat. Birds of another species were attacking the cat. I don’t feel superior to any of the creatures. I sympathize with their struggles, too.
Laura
I have observed California Mountain Quail acting very distressed after a snake had robbed it’s nest of eggs. The quail hunched low and spread her wings and made a repetitive low hoots.
RSS Feeder
When I played the above video at home, my pet bird immediately began to imitate the sound of a smoke alarm during the segment that the Blue Jays were responding to the sight of the dead jay next to the feeder. My bird makes the smoke alarm noise only when there is real and serious trouble around the house. He has also responded similarly when I have been forgetful with the stove on, often responding before an actual real smoke alarm goes off. The Blue Jays could be responding by making a distress call. Their hyperactivity and group interactivity is more consistent with socialized warning calls than with grief; however, they could all be grieving together and their sound may be universal among other bird species, as my bird also reacted appropriately to their sounds heard through the video.
Hgk
Was the feeder frequented as often thereafter? Maybe an alarm over possibly tainted food.
Taz
From what I have observed, the jays will shriek to alert other jays to danger. It depends on the call. They know the difference between wood and a dead bird. Even though they obviously are on the selfish side, when it comes to a threat that will cause death, they are smart enough to figure it would make sense for everyone (other jays) to know about it. Grieving that I have seen is limited to the immediate family. The owl represents another threat. Jays defer to certain other birds, although almost always not to anyone smaller. The stuffed jay bird looks like a competitor, but is suspicious because of the lack of interaction.
Jays also shriek, although perhaps not at the danger level, to see if anyone else is around. If no other jay shows up, then the secret peanut stash will not be revealed and it will be safe to go pick up some food for the bird pantry.
That’s my take on it. When I call my jays with an iiwi bird whistle, they show up and like to take peanuts out of my hand, and to stare at me. If I don’t wake up early enough per their schedule to feed them, they get annoyed and try to wake me up. And no, they do not come in the house or any such whatnot.
Wondered if it could be to identify a missing mate or family member?