News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Mother Bird's Song Helps Her Young Cope With Global Warming

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. The melodies of a songbird are beautiful, and for the birds, can help them survive, in this case, global warming. According to a study published in the journal Science, zebra finches sing a special song to their eggs to warn their unhatched offspring when the temperature goes above 79 degrees. The warning slows the chicks' development in the egg; they come out smaller - all of which allows them to handle the heat. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.