Japanese great tits (pictured) are well known for being highly vocal birds and produce a range of calls, but scientists have discovered they can structure these into phrases that convey distinct messages.
Japanese great tits (pictured) are well known for being highly vocal birds and produce a range of calls, but scientists have discovered they can structure these into phrases that convey distinct messages.
Birds not only use a variety of calls to communicate different messages, but some can also combine these calls in a specific way to form 'phrases' to convey more complex information.

Japanese great tits, also known as Parus minor, have been found to combine calls together to produce messages that convey different meanings.

Scientists say this is the first example of the use of syntax by non-human animals to be discovered.

Great tits are well known for having a diverse vocal repertoire, with some species producing more than 40 different songs and calls.


Japanese great tits are closely related to the great tits which are commonly found in gardens in Britain.

Now a team of researchers from Japan, Germany and Sweden found that the bird not only uses different calls but also includes syntax - a set of rules that give them structure.

Among the bird's threat responses is a call that Dr Toshitaka Suzuki, who led the research at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Kanagawa, Japan, labels 'ABC', and which means 'scan for danger'.

The tits use these calls to warn others of a perched predator such as a falcon.

Another call, labelled 'D', means 'come here' and is used when discovering a new food source or to encourage a partner into the nest.

The tits demonstrate their mastery of communications by using these calls either alone or in combination, to communicate complex information.

When the calls are played together in the natural order (ABC-D), other birds will respond by approaching while scanning for danger.

But when the researchers artificially reversed the order in audio playback experiments, playing D-ABC, the birds did not respond.

The spectrographs pictured show the different call types the researchers studied
The researchers found the birds produced calls in specific orders that convey meanings but when they reversed these structures, the meaning appeared to be lost. The spectrographs pictured show the different call types the researchers studied

Japanese great tit
Japanese great tits (pictured) produce calls in a natural order ABC-D, which signals to other birds that they should approach while scanning for danger. When researchers artificially reversed the order of calls so they became D-ABC, the birds no longer responded
Dr David Wheatcroft, co-author of the study, which is published in the journal Nature Communications, and a biologist at Uppsala University in Sweden, said: 'This demonstrates that syntax is not unique to human language, but also evolved independently in birds.

'Understanding why syntax has evolved in tits can give insights into its evolution in humans.'

Other research into the communications techniques of non-human primates and birds suggests that the ability to combine vocal elements has evolved on a number of occasions.

This implies chimpanzees, for example, can create new words and even rudimentary sentences.

However, the ability to combine different words to create more complex expressions was thought to be unique to human language.

At least one species of bird has now overturned that belief.

Japanese great tits are close relatives of the birds commonly found in British gardens (pictured). The birds can produce up to 40 different calls and songs.
Japanese great tits are close relatives of the birds commonly found in British gardens (pictured). The birds can produce up to 40 different calls and songs.