Study finds that birds hold 'funerals'

There's no black hearse or rounds of "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes, but birds hold their own version of a "funeral" when another bird dies, researchers have found. A study published in the journal Animal Behaviour found that western scrub jays engage in complex behavior patterns when they encounter a fallen fowl, first crying out alarm signals to other birds and then gathering en masse around the carcass, screeching out in a collective series of "zeeps." They also stop foraging for food for a full day. Scientists believe the behavior could be a mechanism that helps them warn each other about dangers nearby. [Source]

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