Figuring out which is which turns out to be one of the trickiest questions in animal behavior research, James O'Hanlon, zoologist and science communicator, told Live Science.
In it, O'Hanlon examines one of the strongest candidates for an animal that deliberately lies: the fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis), a small African bird whose ever-changing repertoire of false alarm calls has made it a favorite subject for scientists studying tactical deception.
Live Science Pro
This is a Live Science Pro article that we're publishing for free to all our readers. If you'd like more exclusive book excerpts, as well as news analysis, scientist interviews and in-depth features, please consider subscribing.
They don't stop there; drongos mimic a whole range of other animals' signals, mimicking various avian neighbors like the caped glossy starling or the pied babbler. Those ever-watchful meerkats fall for the ruse once more, leaving their meals behind. Researchers have identified over fifty unique deceptive vocalizations in the drongo's arsenal.
This remarkable talent for mimicry extends to other creatures as well. Pied babblers and sociable weavers, who both forage in groups upon the earth, frequently find themselves bamboozled into fleeing their food by these false warnings. Had the legendary boy who cried wolf possessed such adaptive ingenuity, he might have successfully maintained his trickery.
It's early days in our understanding of whether animals can tell lies. Social group-living animals are likely candidates for finding animal tricksters in the wild, and we have only scratched the surface of what kinds of trickery goes on in these societies. Time will tell whether similar forms of deception are happening in the subsonic songs of whales and dolphins, the chemical mists of ants and termites, or the barks and howls of wild dogs.
Meerkats are tricked by fork-tailed drongos mimicking the alarm calls, so the birds can swoop in and steal their food. (Image credit: photo by yasa/Getty Images)Firstly, one of the most important rules in studying animal behaviour is to not anthropomorphise animals. In other words, don't project human-like qualities or emotions onto other species. Scientists must be completely objective and not assume that other animals think, behave or make decisions for the same reasons we do.
Exclusive to Live Science ProSince lying has always been perceived as a human behaviour, scientists are incredibly hesitant to conclude that it could be happening in other animals.
A professional scientist will often give a direct "No" answer but rarely a direct "Yes." It's like squeezing blood from a stone. But this is a good thing. What often sounds like indecisiveness or a lack of certainty is actually just good professional practice. It's part of a scientist's job description — to consider all possible explanations for the observations they have made and examine every possibility on its own merits.
This article is adapted from Liars, Cheats, and Copycats: Trickery and Deception in Nature by James O’Hanlon . Copyright © James O’Hanlon 2027, 2025 First published in Australia by NewSouth, an imprint of UNSW Press Ltd. Used by arrangement with Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
Oneworld Publications Liars, Cheats, and Copycats: Trickery and Deception in Nature
To understand how these creatures swindle their way to survival, Liars, Cheats, and Copycats reveals the science behind camouflage, mimicry, and masquerade. Taking readers on a journey from tropical rainforests to the darkness of deep ocean trenches, James O’Hanlon explores how animals and plants use deception to avoid predators, lure in prey, and even reproduce.
Hence then, the article about can animals lie this sneaky bird might be proof was published today ( ) and is available on Live Science ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Can animals lie? This sneaky bird might be proof. )
Also on site :