Vocal Variety: Scientists Figure Out Meaning of Penguin Calls

Penguins have gotten a bad reputation as being some of nature's loudest squawkers, earning them the nickname "jackass penguins." But scientists behind a recent study have finally figured out what these noisy birds are trying to say, according to a press release.

They are doing more than just yelling, according to Italian scientists who recently deciphered a variety of African penguin vocalizations. It is known that they communicate with their parents, mates and colony members, but up until now scientists only had a general idea of what they were saying.

By comparing hundreds of audio and video recordings of a captive bird colony, the authors were able to come up with a penguin vocabulary, which is described in the journal PLOS ONE.

The results showed that adult penguins have a repertoire of four distinct vocalizations: a brief contact call emitted by isolated birds, an agonistic call used in aggressive interactions, a mutual display song vocalized by pairs at their nests, and an ecstatic display song uttered by single birds looking for a mate during the breeding season (a la "Happy Feet"), shown in the following video:

Young penguins and chicks have their own vocabulary, too. Nesting chicks - less than three months old - use begging peeps to ask parents for food, while unweaned juveniles - between three and 12 months - vocalize deeper begging moans.

Since the colony used in this study is captive, researchers note that it's possible they haven't identified all the possible vocalizations among penguin populations, but they suggest this analysis will help to standardize known vocalizations that can be used in further study of these endangered seabirds.

African penguins are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN), as commercial fishing off the southern coast of Africa has depleted the bird's food supply. Understanding how these birds communicate, according to The Dodo, can be helpful in protecting this species.