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Two monk parakeets preening in Barcelona, Spain Credit: Simeon Q. Smeele
How social networks shape the vocal diversity of monk parakeets
In the urban parks of Barcelona, Spain, the calls of a tropical parrot fill the air. The bright green monk parakeet, native to South America, has found a new home in European cities. Monk parakeets thrive in huge colonies where they communicate with each other using many distinct sounds—offering scientists a unique window into understanding the interplay of individual social relationships with vocal variety.
For social animals, communication is a key that unlocks the benefits of group living. It’s well known that animals with more complex social lives tend to have more intricate ways of communicating, from the clicks and whistles of dolphins to the calls of primates. While this pattern is found broadly in many species, a new study on wild parrots drills deep into the social and vocal lives of individual birds. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB) analyzing the social networks of monk parakeets in Spain have uncovered how an individual’s social ties shapes the calls these birds make.
The MPI-AB scientists spent several months over the course of two years closely observing 337 monk parakeets, documenting their social lives as well as recording all their screeches, squawks, and whistles, which totaled 5,599 vocalizations. The team examined these calls in terms of repertoire diversity (how many different sounds a bird can make) and contact-call diversity (how much this specific type of call differs). They also mapped out the birds’ social networks, analyzing everything from how often they interacted with others to the strength of their relationships.
Based on this data, the team could conclude that individual parakeets living in larger groups did indeed produce a more variable repertoire of sounds. They also found that female parakeets had a more diverse repertoire than males, which is unusual for birds, they say.
“This research is a really important first step,” says Simeon Smeele, the first author of the study. “It really looks like there are some call types that are used uniquely in social situations. And it’s really interesting to see that females appear to produce more of these, suggesting they are the more social sex.”
Social network analysis showed that parakeets with more central positions in the social structure—those that were potentially more influential in the group—tended to have more diverse vocal repertoires. In other words, the most social individuals seemed to have a better vocabulary than less social individuals.
“What I find really exciting is that we were able to link what individuals say to very specific levels of sociality,” says Smeele, who conducted the study as a doctoral student at MPI-AB. “For example, close friends that allowed each other to approach within pecking distance sounded less like each other, as if they were trying to sound unique in their little gang.”
The results offer clues about the evolution of complex communication including human language. Previous research has demonstrated that sociality is linked to a more diverse repertoire in species ranging from Carolina chickadees to marmosets. This study goes further by showing how vocal communication is shaped by the web of an individual’s social network.
Says Smeele: “The next big step is to better understand what each of the sounds mean, a real mammoth task, since most of the social squawking happens in large groups with many individuals talking at the same time!”
Original Publication
Authors: Simeon Q. Smeele, Juan Carlos Senar, Mary Brooke McElreath and Lucy M. Aplin.
Journal: Royal Society Open Science
DOI: 10.1098/rsos.241717
Method of Research: Experimental study
Subject of Research: Animals
Article Title: The effect of social structure on vocal flexibility in monk parakeets
Article Publication Date: 6-May-2025
Original Source: https://www.ab.mpg.de/677262/news_publication_24656080_transferred
Media Contact
Carla Avolio
Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
cavolio@ab.mpg.de
Cell: 176-77871256
Expert Contact
Simeon Q. Smeele
Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University
simeon_smeele@ecos.au.dk
Frequently Asked Questions
How do monk parakeets develop their vocabulary?
Monk parakeets develop their vocabulary through social interactions within their colonies. Research shows that those living in larger groups produce a more diverse repertoire of sounds, indicating that social ties significantly influence their vocal variety.
What did the study on monk parakeets reveal about female parakeets’ vocalizations?
The study found that female monk parakeets have a more diverse vocal repertoire than males, which is unusual among birds. This suggests that females may be more social and communicate more intricately within their social networks.
Why is social interaction important for monk parakeets?
Social interaction is crucial for monk parakeets because it enhances their vocal communication skills. The study revealed that individual parakeets with more significant social connections tend to have a richer vocabulary, linking sociality to vocal diversity.
What methods were used to study the vocalizations of monk parakeets?
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior used observational methods to study 337 monk parakeets over two years, documenting their social lives and recording 5,599 vocalizations to analyze repertoire and contact-call diversity.
How can the study of monk parakeets contribute to our understanding of human language?
The study of monk parakeets can provide insights into the evolution of complex communication, including human language, by demonstrating how social structure impacts vocal flexibility and diversity, a pattern observed across various species.
Source: EurekAlert!
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