A little bird told her: scientist wins $100,000 prize for decoding birdsong

A scientist has won a $100,000 prize for her work understanding how birds communicate. Dr. Julie Elie at the University of California, Berkeley, received the award for decoding the vocalisations of zebra finches. Her research identified 11 core calls in the birds' vocabulary and their meanings. The study showed how birds announce their identity and what they are doing. Each bird uses individual signatures to recognise others, regardless of what they are saying.

Elie spent over a decade observing and recording the finches before classifying their calls by situation and individual. She then used machine learning to analyse how information was encoded in the sounds. Tests showed the birds sometimes confused calls with similar meanings rather than similar sounds. This finding suggests the birds have a mental understanding of what their calls mean. Elie said she hoped her work was a step towards communicating with animals.

Sources: theguardian.com