The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think

by Jennifer Ackerman

So the quelea form little neighborhoods surrounded by familiar birds, individuals they know will stick to their own nest and not try to steal from them. A newly arrived, unfamiliar male poses a bigger threat than a familiar neighbor going about his own nest building. It’s called the “dear enemy effect.” The birds get to know their neighbors very quickly. One quelea signals its identity to another by flashing its face, making it easy for the neighbor to quickly learn who it is. “Once that’s settled,” says Dale, “everyone can stop harassing each another and get down to the business of nest building.” As it turns out, it’s the quelea’s bright red bill that signals quality, embedded in their colorful feathers of identity. Imagine all that information, all that messaging, contained in a bird’s face. But really, should we be surprised? Recognizing individuals is the foundation for social relationships, and queleas are highly social creatures.