Can animals learn the "language" of another species? The surprising answer from scientists (photo).

With each passing year, scientists are discovering more about how animals communicate with one another. Research indicates that elephants greet each other by flapping their ears and producing specific sounds, while sperm whales alter their vocalizations based on the context of the conversation. It is evident that communication in the animal kingdom is complex. But with all these unique methods of communication, can an animal learn the "language" of a different species? This is discussed by Live Science.

It turns out there are examples of animals learning to understand and even utilize the vocalizations or signals of other species. However, many questions remain about what is occurring in the minds of these animals.

It is important to note that for humans, language is a specific system of communication, but animals do not actually possess languages in the same way, says Simon Townsend from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. When studying animals, researchers examine certain features of their communication, such as a specific sound that carries a particular meaning, which cannot be classified as language in the human sense.

When it comes to perceiving sounds from other species, birds are among the most studied animals. A study by researchers from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, USA, showed that individual birds can comprehend the calls of other bird species along their migratory paths, which may help them stay safe and complete their long journeys. The data supports the idea of interspecies communication. However, this information still does not allow for a precise interpretation of what exactly birds are "saying."

Studying language is not just about understanding what you hear; it also involves the ability to speak it. In this regard, scientists say that drongos (Dicrurus adsimilis), which are found in Africa, excel the most.

Drongos have a habit of following other animals in hopes of stealing some of their food. Thomas Flower from Capilano University in Canada studied these birds as they trailed a group of meerkats. The researcher found that drongos utilize their own alarm signals, a piercing call indicating an approaching predator, to scare the meerkats and drive them into their burrows. This way, the birds can snatch up leftover food from the meerkats.

The study also revealed that over time, meerkats begin to understand that the drongo's characteristic alarm signals are a clever trick, leading them to stop abandoning their food and hiding.

Additionally, another talent of drongos was discovered. It turns out that these birds not only recognize the alarm signals of other animals but also learn to mimic these sounds for their own benefit. When the birds realize that their own alarm signal is no longer effective, they start imitating the alarm signals of other birds or even copying the alarm call of meerkats. By regularly changing their alarm signals among different species, drongos keep meerkats on edge and acquire food. Drongos also follow other birds and mimic their alarm calls to steal food from them.

According to Flower, this demonstrates that animals may be open to learning the "language" of other species.