Communication and Predation in Scrubwrens: Alarm Calls and Eavesdropping

Animal behaviour, including acoustic communication, is shaped by the risk of being killed by predators. Many animals give alarm calls, potentially warning others of danger, and all face the risk that calls intended for conspecifics might be overheard by predators. We will use observations and playback experiments on birds to test what information is conveyed in alarm calls, and measure the risk of predators eavesdropping on the calls of young birds. Such work has never before been carried out on wild birds, and will contribute to the understanding of non-human communication about the environment and the design of signals.