Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Chatting and Cheating Chooks

So I've known for a while after seeing "Cheating Chooks" that: "Chickens are underrated. In fact, they have a complex communication system which includes over 20 different signals, and the males at least are practiced in the art of deceit."

Late last year Chris Evan's reported that chooks have representational language, "This shows that the call triggers other chickens to look for specific information – in this case, whether or not they already know there is food about – and to respond appropriately, researchers claim. This is similar to how human language works, they say.

Such “representational” communication has been demonstrated in some primates before, but never in a bird."

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