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

Elie observed and recorded the sounds the zebra finches made and classified the calls according to the situation and the bird that made them. Photograph: Wolfgang ForstmeierView image in fullscreenElie observed and recorded the sounds the zebra finches made and classified the calls according to the situation and the bird that made them. Photograph: Wolfgang ForstmeierAnimal behaviourA little bird told her: scientist wins $100,000 prize for decoding birdsongJulie Elie worked out how zebra finches announce who they are, what they are doing and use individual signaturesIan Sample Science editorFri 26 Jun 2026 02.53 EDTFirst published on Fri 26 Jun 2026 02.51 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA scientist who decoded the dictionary that a bird uses to communicate has won a $100,000 prize…

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