Prairie dogs act like the Paul Reveres of the Great Plains, sounding the alarm with distinct barks to warn their neighbors about approaching predators—whether the threat comes from the ground or the sky.
“Prairie dogs are on the menu for nearly every predator out there,” said Andy Boyce, a research ecologist in Montana with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. That includes golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, foxes, badgers, and even large snakes.
Those same predators also pose a threat to grassland birds like the long-billed curlew.
To stay safe, curlews have learned to listen in on prairie dog alarm calls, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Animal Behaviour.
While it’s well known that birds often eavesdrop on each other for cues about danger or food, instances of birds listening to mammals are rare, said Emily Williams, an ornithologist at Georgetown University who wasn’t involved in the research.
