Breaking the Bird Barrier: Scientist Decodes Zebra Finch Language

Dr Julie Elie of the University of California, Berkeley has won the 2026 Coller-Dolittle Prize, receiving $100,000 for decoding zebra finch vocalisations. She identified 11 core calls and mapped their meanings using machine learning and behavioural tests. Judges from Tel Aviv University called it a key breakthrough in interspecies communication research, according to organisers said