Bird Song Found to Somehow Protect Babies From High Temperatures

*Two scientists from Deakin University in Australia discovered that Australian zebra finches sing unique calls to their eggs when it’s hot out. What’s more, birds that were incubated and raised at high temperatures grew more slowly if they had been exposed to these “incubation calls,” an adaptation that later led to higher reproductive success. The researchers believe their study provides some insight into how these birds might respond to climate change.

These findings show, for the first time, that parent birds can communicate environmental conditions to their babies before they hatch, said Joseph Woodgate, a behavioral ecologist at Queen Mary University of London who has previously worked with both researchers.

The scientists behind the study began investigating after they noticed Australian zebra finches making an unusual call in the wild.'>>>

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/science/finch-song.html?