News Animals

By fluttering its wings, this bird uses body language to tell its mate ‘after you’

Gesturing to communicate complex messages is a rare ability in the animal kingdom

Play the video A small black and white bird perches on a branch, its wings blurred with the motion of fluttering.
Researchers have observed Japanese tits (Parus minor) fluttering their wings to noiselessly tell mates to enter the nest first. It is the first known case of symbolic gesture in a nonprimate animal.

By Darren Incorvaia

Be it an arched eyebrow, a shaken head or a raised finger, humans wordlessly communicate complex ideas through gestures every day.