Chaffinches are small European songbirds. They have a variety of calls, but one that is especially conspicuous and has had the attention of ornithologists for a long time. The so-called "rain-call" is uttered exclusively by males during the breeding season.
In a previous study, we found that chaffinches don't use more rain-calls during bad weather episodes, but we had not figured the function of the call yet.
In a series of experiments and observations, we investigated the context in which chaffinches use rain-calls. We found that the birds utter more rain-calls when their partner is in sight, and that the presence of low-danger predators elicit rain-call production reliably. We conclude that the rain-call is an alarm call. This call might be used by male chaffinches to warn their mates about the presence of a danger in their territory.
Read the full study here!
