D: I can't tell you how many cards we receive here at A Moment of Science asking to     have Yael imitate a chicken. So today, she's going to do it.

Y: I am certainly not going to imitate a chicken.

D: Well done! As you can tell, Yael is using language.

Y: What? Of course I'm using language! You said I was going to imitate a chicken.

D: You're saying chickens don't use language? Au contraire.

Y: Chickens have language?

D: Researchers debate this, and it depends on how you define language. But a series of     studies done in Australia by Linda and Chris Evans suggest they do--at least a     rudimentary form of language. Chickens, as you know, make a clucking sound.     Researchers call it a "took."

Y: A took.

D: When a particular kind of "took" was recorded and played back, it caused chickens     to examine the ground at their feet. When they altered the pitch of the "took," the     chickens didn't look at the ground any more. Playing other sounds chickens make     didn't cause the ground-examining behavior either.

Y: So why does a took make you look? Hey, wait a minute. Maybe they're looking for     food!

D: Just what the researchers speculate. This particular "took" seems to be used to alert     other chickens that food is present. Male chickens make this "took" around food, and     do it much more when a female chicken comes near. The "took" seems to mean     "Hey! Food here."

Y: Sounds like language to me.

D: And maybe to a chicken, too.  

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