Birdsong Echoes Human Language Rule: Zipf's Law Discovered in Avian Vocalizations

Researchers from the University of Manchester and Chester Zoo have uncovered a hidden pattern in birdsong mirroring a core principle of human language – Zipf's Law of Abbreviation (ZLA). This law states that more frequently used sounds tend to be shorter, increasing communication efficiency. Using a new open-source tool, ZLAvian, they analyzed over 600 songs from 11 bird populations across seven species. While individual variation was significant, the overall data revealed that more frequently used birdsong phrases were shorter on average. This finding offers new insights into animal communication and the potential application of the 'principle of least effort' in avian vocalizations.