Western scrub-jay funerals: cacophonous aggregations in response to dead conspecifics

► We examined western scrub-jays' responses to potential cues of risk. ► Western scrub-jays vocalized and aggregated upon discovering a dead conspecific. ► Predator mounts elicited similar aggregations, while novel objects did not. ► Both elicitors caused a decrease of foraging in the area. ► Jays used dead conspecifics as cues of risk and shared this information.