00:00The calls of birds are often what ornithologists first identify before they even see the species
00:08out in the wild.
00:09However, that might be changing with regards to some species.
00:13Researchers who were studying the yellow-naped amazon, a type of parrot indigenous to the
00:16Pacific coast, recently noticed their accents were changing.
00:20Birds having regional dialects is nothing new, but dialectical changes are now occurring
00:24within the species in unprecedented ways.
00:27The researchers first noticed the calls of the southern-dwelling yellow-naped amazon
00:30in northern regions, finding that not only were some of the birds using southern calls,
00:35but they were also bilingual, using the northern ones as well.
00:38Experts theorize this is an adaptation, allowing the parrots to communicate and call birds
00:42of both dialects for increased mating opportunities.
00:45And those same scientists say that it's an adaptation which could save the species.
00:49In just the last three generations of these birds, they have seen a 92% drop in their
00:54populations in Central and South America, with the researchers saying that the species'
00:58new bilingualism could actually aid in conservation efforts, explaining in their report that ultimately,
01:04monitoring cultural behavior such as the rate of change in dialects can help wildlife managers
01:09understand anthropogenic impacts, population dynamics, and conserve species.
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