‘The first species we might be able to communicate with, interact with vocally, might be a bird’: An animal researcher explains how she decoded birdsong

Bird calls are far more than pleasant sounds in nature. They are complex forms of communication that can reveal how birds think, learn, cooperate and respond to their surroundings. From intricate songs used to attract mates to alarm calls that warn others of danger, vocalizations offer valuable clues about avian intelligence and social organization.

Julie Elie is an animal behavior researcher and associate project scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. She recently won the 2026 Coller Dolittle Challenge for Two-Way Interspecies Communication for her work in studying and deciphering zebra finch communication.

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Content Manager at Live Science. Formerly, she was the Content Manager at Space.com and before that the Science Communicator at JILA, a physics research institute. Kenna is also a book author, with her upcoming book ‘Octopus X’ scheduled for release in spring of 2027. Her beats include physics, health, environmental science, technology, AI, animal intelligence, corvids, and cephalopods.