Before they even hatch, bird embryos use vibrations to warn their siblings of danger

Science · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While eggs seem silent, they are surprisingly attuned to the outside world. Recent research reveals that yellow-legged gull embryos can sense predator warnings and transmit that threat information to their nest-mates through vibrations. This discovery marks the first time such pre-hatching communication has been observed to influence clutchmate behavior.

Developing bird embryos are far more connected to their environment than previously assumed. Much like human infants registering sounds from within the womb, embryos across various species—including reptiles, amphibians, and insects—actively gather sensory information before they emerge. A study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution specifically examined this phenomenon in yellow-legged gulls, focusing on how they prepare for environmental threats while still inside the shell.

Behavioral ecologists Jose Noguera and Alberto Velando from the University of Vigo conducted experiments using 90 gull eggs collected from Sálvora Island. They organized these into clutches of three eggs and subjected them to controlled conditions in an incubation chamber. By exposing some eggs to the recorded alarm calls of adult gulls while keeping others in silence, the researchers observed how the embryos reacted. The results showed that embryos exposed to these warnings underwent distinct physiological and behavioral changes, which they then appeared to communicate to their unexposed siblings through physical vibrations.

This transfer of knowledge is significant because it suggests that embryos are not merely passive observers of their development. By vibrating, the exposed embryos effectively alerted their less-developed nest-mates to the presence of danger. When these embryos eventually hatched, they displayed the same defensive adaptations as those that had heard the alarm calls directly. This study provides a fascinating look at how early social interaction and information sharing begin long before a bird enters the world, fundamentally altering our understanding of avian development and survival strategies.

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