25.02.2026AI-powered semantic mapping of the whole vocal repertoire in a cooperative bird society

Carrion crows in northern Spain live in cooperative family groups in which relatives coordinate to jointly care for offspring. To understand how communication supports this coordination, we combined animal-borne audio and motion sensors, nest cameras, and machine-learning approaches to analyse vocal behaviour across 23 social groups. This integrative approach revealed a diverse vocal repertoire, including previously undescribed low-amplitude calls, calls associated with specific social categories, and structured call sequences. We found that vocalisations are closely linked to key cooperative contexts such as flock movements, territorial defence, and chick provisioning, with individuals apparently announcing their arrivals and departures from the nest, suggesting a communicative mechanism for coordinating parental and helper care.