To the novice listener, the Australian Chestnut-crowned babbler's sweet melodies may sound like any other birdsong. However, to ornithologists it is a series of sounds which when combined, forms a unique bird-like vocalization or what we refer to as language. The discovery is exciting because the tiny birds are the first nonhuman species known to communicate using language.
Before exploring the language of the babbler, it is important to define what that means. To most people, communication and language are synonymous. However according to language experts communication or exchange of information can constitute various things - from the aggressive roar of a lion to the incessant buzzing of honeybees - vocal in nature, but not necessarily intellectual.