Researchers from the University of Tokyo claim to have discovered that the Japanese tits, a small bird species, employ wing movements as symbolic gestures to convey messages, including the equivalent of 'after you'.

Led by Associate Professor Toshitaka Suzuki and his colleague Norimasa Sugita, the study challenges conventional knowledge regarding nonverbal communication in the animal kingdom.

For more than 17 years, Suzuki and his team have meticulously observed the behaviour of Japanese tits, known for their complex vocalizations and social interactions.

During the breeding season, mating pairs of Japanese tits build nests in tree cavities, exhibiting intricate communication patterns as they care for their offspring.

The researchers observed that when a mating pair arrives with food, one bird often perches nearby and performs a distinctive wing-fluttering display towards its mate.

Remarkably, this gesture prompted the recipient to enter the nest first, akin to the human gesture of 'after you.'

A detailed analysis of more than 320 nest visitations revealed a consistent pattern that the mate who received the wing-fluttering signal typically entered the nest first, followed by the gesturing bird

According to Suzuki, this behaviour fulfils the criteria of a symbolic gesture which happens exclusively in the presence of a mate, ceases upon the mate's entry into the nest, and encourages the mate to enter without physical contact.

Notably, the gesture is directed at the mate rather than the nest box itself, distinguishing it from deictic gestures that indicate objects of interest.

The prevalence of this complex communication strategy among Japanese tits challenges previous notions that symbolic gestures are unique to humans and great apes.

Suzuki speculates that birds' upright posture on perches may facilitate the evolution of gestural communication, analogous to the role of bipedalism in human gesture development.

The team said they aim to decode the nuanced language of birds through gestures, vocalizations, and their combinations, which can shed light on the rich diversity of animal languages and offer valuable insights into the origins and evolution of human language.