Are Birdsongs Language?

Atheist mathematician Jeff Shallit insists that animals have language. He cites several studies, including a study on birdsongs, reported on in New Scientist, that claim to detect grammar in the songs.

Let's take a look:

First evidence that birds tweet using grammar

They may not have verbs, nouns or past participles, but birds challenge the notion that humans alone have evolved grammatical rules.

Bengal finches have their own versions of such rules -- known as syntax -- says Kentaro Abe of K...